Only in America
by Elizabeth Grenich
Summary: Sequel to Rewritten. The Doctor and the Torchwood gang are tracing a series of alien outbreaks that seem to have originated in the US. The Doctor's mind is reaching out to someone, but he doesn't know who it is. AU 10th Doctor x Rose!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer__: __No __I __don__'t __own __Doctor __Who __or __Torchwood__, __but __I __imagine __if __I __did__, __I __would __be a __considerably __less __bitter __person__!_

Chapter 1

"You'd better have a solution to this Jack!" Owen's yell could be heard throughout the hub. Jack leaned on rail of the catwalk watching the team stagger in. They looked exhausted and more than a little annoyed. Spending an entire day battling angry citizens and angrier aliens had not been on their agenda, and Jack knew that they would have some heated words with him on where he had spent the day. While it hadn't been fair of him to leave them on their own, he knew they needed the Doctor's help.

"Jack!" Owen growled again. Jack straightened as he caught Ianto's eye. A silent warning was passed between them and Jack pressed his lips together, preparing for the full impact of Owen's anger.

"He's waiting for us in the conference room." Ianto informed Owen quietly, sounding slightly exasperated. His arms were full of pizza boxes that they had picked up on their way back; he led the way up the stairs giving Jack a sympathetic look as he entered the conference room.

"Owen, you yelled?" Jack asked forcing himself to sound cheerful. He shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled disarmingly.

"Yeah, where have you been?" Owen met his eyes and sauntered up. He was hardly intimidated by Jack's confident and authoritarian manner. He wanted answers and he wanted them now; it didn't matter to him that Jack was the team leader because they were still a team.

"Getting us some help." Jack replied, keeping his voice even. Owen stretched his jaw and looked back at the girls, before giving Jack a piercing glare.

"You didn't bother to think that maybe we needed help? I mean you are the boss, right? Part of the team." Owen stepped back, analyzing him and Gwen stepped forward.

"Owen..." She began cautiously. They were exhausted and hungry and Gwen knew that did nothing for Owen's already harsh attitude. Part of her was just as upset as he was, but she was learning that trusting Jack was much wiser than any other course.

"You're hungry, tired and it's been a long day, believe me I know. Just get inside and while you're eating we can talk, there are more important things to worry about." Jack gestured to the conference room. "If this still bothers you when we're through, then we can talk about it." Owen didn't respond, brushing past him abruptly. Tosh stopped and looked him in the eye.

"You said you got us some help, are we going to need it?" she asked quietly. She had managed to hide fear well over the years, but Jack knew. He laid a hand on her shoulder, in an effort to calm her.

"We're in good hands."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OIA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ianto was more than a little surprised to see the Doctor, Donna and Rose sitting comfortably around the table. Papers and folders were littered across the surface and Donna had swung her legs over one of the chair arms. It was obvious they'd made themselves at home and Ianto didn't know whether or not to be alarmed. Few people could assume such familiarity in the hub, and usually those that did were locked or retconned. He looked back through the door, hoping Jack was there to explain, but he could hear him still talking to Owen. Rose noticed him first, looking up and smiling genuinely.

"Hello, I'm Rose. I'm an old friend of Jack's." she stood and took several steps forward, pointing to the pizza. "D'ya need a hand with that?" Rose took several boxes off his hands and he smiled faintly.

"Thanks, Ianto Jones." he put the rest of the pizza boxes down. "It's weird, he's never spoken of you, and considering his reputation that is a surprise."

"There are some things that even Jack Harkness knows better than to do." the Doctor answered dryly, standing up and joining them at the end of the table. He held out a hand, grinning madly.

"I'm the Doctor, and that over there is Donna Noble. Brilliant to meet you Ianto Jones." Ianto's jaw dropped and he pointed to pair incredulously.

"You aren't...No...You're not, Dame Rose Tyler, of the Powell Estates?" he asked excitedly. She blushed, glancing at the Doctor.

"One and the same." she answered. Donna looked up at the Doctor, her own jaw dropping. 'Dame?' she mouthed to him in a question, clearly impressed. The Doctor nodded, beaming proudly.

"Then you must be..." Ianto looked at the Doctor, clearly overwhelmed. The Doctor was the whole reason that Torchwood existed. He was the reason the world hadn't been taken over by the Daleks or the Cybermen. Ianto stood in awe, not sure where to begin. The Doctor could sense his shock and nodded once, amused.

"Only one in the universe." his eyes narrowed slightly as he realized that he recognized him. "I've seen you before haven't I. It was after Canary Wharf." he said. Rose's eyes shot toward Ianto, brimming with sympathy. Ianto's eyes widened slightly, the horrors of the day flooding back to him "You lost someone that day, didn't you, I went back afterwards to read the list of the dead and you were there." Doctor leaned forward and laid a hand on his shoulder, understanding the grief that tore through the man. "I'm so sorry." Ianto looked briefly at the pizza boxes, exhaling slowly, willing himself to calm down. When he looked back up his face was practically void of emotion, save for the tears glistening in his eyes.

"Thank you." he said quietly. The rest of the team walked in just then, Jack quickly heading to the front of the room.

"Torchwood, I'd like you to meet the Doctor, Rose and Donna," he paused and looked around the room. "Where's River?" he asked, peering out the door and looking around the hub. Donna shrugged, staring at the pizza.

"She left a note, saying she'd be back, and something about spoilers." she replied. Jack figured it would be better not to ask and instead waved a hand at his team."Doc, meet Torchwood 3. Ianto, Owen, Gwen and Tosh the best in the business."

"S'brilliant to meet you." he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels.

"The pizza is getting cold." Ianto remarked, sitting down near the end of the table. He passed several boxes to Donna and began opening them up. The smell permeated the room and any other thoughts the group had flew out the window. Little mattered to them anymore except food. Jack sat down and picked up several of the Doctor's papers, passing them to Tosh.

"The Doc has set up new scans that have been running all day. These are the readings we've gotten from so far." he grabbed a slice of pizza and began munching thoughtfully. "Nothing too important, mostly just regular rift activity."

"We think that there could be something big that's drawing all the aliens in, most of them don't have the technology to travel this far away from their home planet; but so far we haven't found anything." the Doctor sat himself across from Tosh, and leaned forward eagerly.

"Sorry, who are you?" Owen asked. Jack sat on the edge of the table and glared at him.

"The Doctor," he said keeping his voice calm. Owen set down his pizza crust and leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at Jack.

"I know who you say they are, but how are we supposed to know? Last guy you brought in here tried to pick us off one by one." he retorted. Owen scowled at him, allowing his exhaustion and anger to take over him.

"Owen!" Gwen snapped , her own anger flaring up.

"You said something big, but like what?" Tosh turned to the Doctor, trying to dispel the uneasy tension.

"Energy emissions, radiation, telepathic wavelengths, we're trying it all." Rose replied. Ianto looked impressed.

"Not just a pretty face then." he remarked. Rose grinned and shook her head.

"What about the global readings?" Tosh asked, looking back up. "You just have readings for Cardiff and the UK, what about globally?"

"Here." The Doctor handed her another piece of paper. "I ran that one just a bit ago." Gwen peered over Tosh's shoulder, trying to decipher the picture. "There seems to be similar sightings throughout the US, with a large concentration on the coastlines." A phone rang and Jack held up a hand to quiet them.

"Hello?" Jack answered.  
"All that technology and you still don't have caller id." Jack grinned, recognizing the voice.  
"Martha Jones!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Martha Jones!" Jack stepped out of the room to talk, gesturing for the group to continue without him. An awkward quiet seemed to settled amongst the Torchwood team; each of them were painfully aware of the new visitors and their cheery offers of help. Mistrust boiled amongst them, founded by their former experiences with Jack's old friends. Rose had attempted to start a cheery conversation with Gwen, while Owen looked thoroughly miserable and Tosh buried herself in the scan results.

Donna felt the almost instantaneous attitude change, and looked up from her pizza. Leaning back in her chair she watched the small team, her gaze falling to Owen, who was watching them with disdain. She turned to the Doctor.

"They're all so young." she whispered. She figured they couldn't have been much older than Rose; they were at their peak of knowledge and health. Yet already they carried themselves with a maturity beyond their years. In each of them she recognized the maturity and grief of those who had seen the worst of the world. The Doctor looked at her curiously. "They look like you do sometimes, old and weary."

"This kind of job allows you to see quite a bit of the Universe." His eyes roamed to Ianto. "That doesn't mean it doesn't come at a cost."

"Why - why would they choose this?" Tosh had looked up and was watching them. Donna smiled at her; Tosh smiled shyly in return, unsure of whether or not to speak. The Doctor leaned on the table and grinned.

"Why do you travel with me?" he cocked his head and waited for her answer.

"There's nothing like it. There's just so much to see and do..." she trailed off beginning to see his point.

"It isn't always safe or comforting, but it's always worthwhile. And that's why I keep going." he looked up as Jack stepped back inside. "How is Martha Jones?" he asked.

"Oh as beautiful as ever." Jack grinned back waving his phone. "She has a commission for us in New York."

"Looks like Martha is moving up in the world, she's giving you orders." Owen smirked at him. Jack glared at him and looked back to the Doctor.

"Seems the U.S. is having a similar alien invasion and they've asked UNIT for help. Of course, UNIT has insisted that they send their best, so they've commissioned you to help. " he said.

"Me? Why me?" the Doctor asked and held up his hands in indignation.

"Apparently you're still on payroll." Jack smirked sitting back down on the edge of the table. Rose's eyes widened in surprise.

"You worked for UNIT?" she asked. He rolled his eyes and leaned forward again.

"For a bit yeah. It was long before the Time War and the council had exiled me to earth. It kept me busy." Rose giggled, entertained by the thought of the Doctor being exiled to earth. She wondered if his past regeneration was as against domesticity as hers were.

"So you do do domestic! What, did you live in a little house, with carpets?" She asked, her tongue poking between her teeth.

"Doesn't mean I liked it." He pointed a finger at her, looking solemn. "It's not as much fun when there's no one to share the mortgage with." the humor had left his voice and Rose's smile softened.

"Yeah?" she'd leaned toward him on the table. He smiled back.

"Yeah."

"You two are so cute." Jack interrupted, obviously enjoying himself. The Doctor cleared his throat and leaned back.

"What do they want with us? The U.S. must have some extraterrestrial defense of their own kind, seems like we'd only be in the way." he said.

"According to Martha, they have the same theory we do. Something jhuge is drawing these creatures in, and they think they've found the source of all this somewhere in New York." Jack sifted through the sheets of readings in front of Tosh. "The U.S. has specifically asked for Torchwood to tag along, specifically Owen and I. Apparently they don't have any medics who are familiar with the species running around the city. They want us to start tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Owen nodded. "So, we should have gotten on the plane, what - this morning?" he asked seriously. Jack sent him an amused glare, then looked at the Doctor.

"I think my friend here can take care of transportation." The Doctor grinned and nodded, looking excitedly to Rose and Donna.

"The original New York, with all the angry taxi drivers, hectic business people and the desperate actors looking for work." he said excitedly. Rose giggled.

"No cat people then?" she asked innocently. The Doctor shook his head, his grin ecstatic.

"None, or human trampolines either and the food is fabulous." he replied.

"Hang on, how long will we be gone?" Tosh asked hesitantly. "Who's going to take care of the hub?" Jack nodded, he thought that through already.

"Tosh, I need you here. You can keep an eye on the rift and keep us informed of what's going on." he put a hand on her arm. "I'll take you to New York myself when this is through." Tosh seemed relieved, nodding at him.

"I can stay as well, someone will need to keep an eye on the front." he said. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"And what about my coffee?" he asked. Ianto smirked.

"You're going to America, they have coffee on the way to get coffee." he replied, amused. Jack glared at him.

"Fine. But no accepting field missions unless you run them by me first, and keep your comms open, I want reports on the activity here." Tosh saluted. Jack looked to the Doctor and he stood.

"New York, here we come!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Morning dawned and the TARDIS was ready to go; the Doctor spent the night unhooking her from all of Torchwoods computers. Donna was not ready, however, and had almost thrown Rose out of her room in an attempt to get more sleep. The Doctor had promised Rose that she could fly the TARDIS, so she'd been up early with him, going over controls and procedures. It frightened him how fast she had picked it up, almost as if it was natural to her. He was making a mental checklist of things to ask her when they had the time. They were standing alone outside the TARDIS waiting for Jack, Owen and Gwen. Rose leaned against his arm, smiling faintly.

"Rose," he began hesitantly. "If something was wrong, you would tell me, wouldn't you?" he looked down at her, frowning in concern. Rose looked up, startled.

"Of course." the moment the words left her mouth she regretted them. Nothing was strictly wrong, she thought. His look of relief flooded her with guilt. They didn't have time for a discussion of the past; she couldn't just say that she'd become a part of the TARDIS and the Vortex. It would have to wait.

"I hate mornings." Owen stumbled in, breaking into her thoughts. She had to smile, he didn't look like he was much of a morning person. She usually wasn't either, but the excitement of the day was fueling her adrenaline.

"Good morning!" The Doctor said cheerily. "We haven't eaten, Rose thought it might be fun to get doughnuts for breakfast when we get there."

"You know what'd be fun? A glass of scotch." Owen retorted wryly. Gwen nudged him with her duffel.

"Haven't you had enough already?" she asked, rolling her eyes. He smirked.

"I can still remember where I was last night, so no." he stared up at the TARDIS and looked at the Doctor. "Although, I may have to take that back." The Doctor grinned and opened the door of the TARDIS and gesturing for them to get inside.

"All ready to go!" he said cheerily. Owen glared at him

"We're not going to fit in there." he stated. Rose smirked at him, understanding his confusion. He gave her a sarcastic smile in return. Jack merely brushed past him, his face beaming.

"Owen! Live a little, I didn't think you were this boring..." He yelled from inside. Gwen followed Jack, shrugging her shoulders.

"What on Saint Mary's..." her voice echoed as she disappeared from sight. "Owen, you've got to see this!" Owen rolled his eyes as Rose looked back at him, smirking.

"You coming?" she asked. He pressed his lips together, contemplating. It wouldn't be the first time that Jack had played a joke on him. Hesitantly he followed Rose inside and his jaw dropped.

"It's...it's..." he was at a loss for words. The console room glowed warmly, and Jack and Rose leaned against the middle pillar watching him with amusement.

"Yeah, beautiful isn't she?" the Doctor shut the door behind them, his voice proud. Gwen was walking around, taking in the entirety of the room. It was like nothing she'd ever seen, and that was saying a lot. Jack grinned at her, enjoying their reactions.

"It's alien isn't it?" Gwen stated. She looked at Jack. "But we've never seen anything like this before." He shook his head.

"Nope." she turned to look at the Doctor and Rose.

"Does this mean you're alien?" she asked. Rose bit her lip, trying not to acknowledge how dangerously close Gwen was to her current predicament. She just gestured to the Doctor.

"Just him, two hearts and all." she said. Jack grinned.

"Oh I missed this." he turned and rested his hands on the console. Rose grinned and jumped up, running around to the screen.

"Are you ready for this?" Jack looked at his team. Gwen nodded, still amazed and Owen just stared, completely lost for words.

Rose met the Doctor's gaze looking for the signal to go. He gave her a slight nod, maintaining his stance by the door. Her smile widened, recognizing that he was demonstrating his faith in her.

"Allons-y!" she exclaimed, flipping switches and beginning the customary run around the console. The TARDIS heaved, nearly tossing Owen and Gwen to the ground, as she dematerialized.

"What's happening?" Gwen looked up at Jack. He just laughed, stepping out of the way as Rose brushed passed him. The TARDIS came to a shuddering halt and Rose stopped, staring gleefully at the Doctor. Jack raised an eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Trusting her with the TARDIS, my this must be serious." he winked at him as Rose rushed past him to the door. The Doctor only grinned and looked down at her.

"Ready?" he asked holding out his hand. She slipped her hand in his and bit her lip. Together they pulled open the doors and stepped out to investigate their destination. The Statue of Liberty loomed in front of them, her shadow defending them against the suns glare. Rose's jaw dropped and the Doctor scooped her up and swung her around.

"You did it!" he cried, Rose laughing. Jack followed them outside, watching them indulgently. It was good to see them together again; he needed her almost as much as he needed to keep traveling. Owen and Gwen stepped out beside him, both of them in awe.

"But we were..." Owen looked up at the box and back at Jack.

"Yeah, it's a spaceship, fantastic isn't it?" he commented. Gwen nodded.

"Don't show it to Rhys, he'd want one of his own." she grinned. Donna appeared beside her, ecstatic.

"Oh this is BRILLIANT! I've always wanted to see New York, but he rarely goes anywhere normal. Too boring for him I suppose." she jerked a thumb towards the Doctor.

"Not anymore." Jack rocked on his feet, waiting for the Doctor and Rose to notice them. "Should we interrupt them? They really are so sweet."

"Oi you two, breakfast!" Donna called, not bothering to think about the question. They looked up, their expressions practically glowing. The Doctor held up his hands and stepped back, framing the Lady Liberty behind him.

"Well Donna, what would you like? We have the all American smorgasbord, everything from chow mein to hot dogs." Rose giggled beside him.

"Coffee." Jack announced, leading the way to the ferries. The Doctor rolled his eyes and began following him.

"You people are so boring..." he huffed. Rose punched him in the arm.

"Oi!" she fell into step behind him, the others close behind. He frowned and rubbed his arm.

"When I say people, I rarely mean you." He winced as he heard Donna grunt behind him.

"I heard that spaceman!" she exclaimed, grinning at Gwen. Owen looked back at the TARDIS still in awe. They had traveled across the sea, in seconds, inside of a box that was bigger on the inside. He looked at Gwen, who hadn't stopped smiling since they had stepped outside.

"You forget sometimes," she said looking out at the ocean. "You get so caught up in work, and people dying and the sacrifices you make, that you forget that it's so different and wonderful." He nodded stiffly, squinting into the sun. He only vaguely heard the facts about the city that the Doctor rambled off. He could feel adrenaline rushing through him as the energy from the city became stronger. Torchwood didn't see much beauty, or joy for that matter. The joy he saw in this mysterious Doctor and Rose baffled him to the core. He had a faint memory of a joy like that, but he kept burying it in his mind, it hurt too much to think about. Owen pressed his lips together and turned back towards the city. They had a job to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Author's Note: You may notice I changed this from a crossover to normal, mostly because I didn't feel like it was truly a crossover and I don't want this to become about Torchwood too much. Thanks for reading, feel free to review, I love feedback!_

********Martha had successfully directed them, via cell phone, to a doughnut shop where she would meet them. It was small, but cosy and the air was thick with the aroma of coffee and deep fry. The group settled in a corner, each with an order of coffee and a doughnut. The Doctor was quietly avoiding his mug, purposefully pushing it closer to Rose. She grinned and leaned over to Gwen.  
"He is very much a tea person." she said. Gwen smirked at him.  
"You may have to get used to that." Gwen told him, nodding at his mug. "I hear they don't have a proper cuppa around here, you'd have to go to a specialty store for it." she commented to him.  
"They do know how to fry though..." Donna stated savoring her glazed doughnut. Owen chuckled and held up his own

"It won't be so appetizing once you find out what's in it." he told her. Jack groaned and rolled his eyes.

"No, just don't tell us. I'd like to die in peace." he muttered. Gwen snorted.

"That will be the day, we'd have to make it a national holiday." she laughed. Owen chuckled with her.

"Forget national it'd have to be interplanetary...the day Harkness finally died." the two burst into laughter again and Jack just shook his head. Rose smiled faintly, watching them with confusion.

"I don't get it, why would it be a holiday?" she asked. Gwen's jaw dropped and she looked at Jack.

"You mean you don't know?" she asked amazed. The Doctor's eyes lit up with fear and he sent a glare to Jack.

"So do you think we're going to get to sightsee?" he changed the subject. The Doctor hadn't told Rose about Jack, and he didn't want anyone else to tell her. It was his responsibility, they just hadn't had time. Jack shrugged.  
"We may, depends on how big this is, though everything looks fairly laid back here." he said. Jack smirked getting an idea.  
"Yeah, theres so much to do here." he said, watching the Doctor. "You can easily take someone out to dinner, there's plenty of high class restaurants, to talk about certain things, friends. Or maybe you could take someone to Coney Island, if you like a little adventure, while you're talking." he raised an eyebrow and flicked his eyes briefly to Rose. Donna caught his glance and grinned.  
"Of course there's always Central Park." she suggested. Jack nodded vigorously and the Doctor glared at the two of them, completely understanding their message.

"You never know, we may not have any free time." he replied through clenched teeth. Jack glared at him.  
"Coward." he muttered. The Doctor pretended not to hear and attempted a sip at his coffee. There was a presence, flittering in his mind. It was small and just barely noticeable, but the part of his mind that had been empty since the day of the time war reached out hungrily to grasp it. It seemed just out of reach, and he wondered who or what it could be. Not many species had the capability for telepathy, especially on this end of the galaxy.  
"He must be worried...he hasn't even seen me sit down!" Martha's voice dragged him out of his reverie and he grinned. She had sat herself next to Jack, watching amusedly as the Doctor spaced out.  
"Doctor Martha Jones." he said, pride creeping into his voice. She smiled back at him. "Oh come here." he stood and gave her a hug. "You must have gotten a promotion, working internationally s'quite a responsibility."  
"Oh I seem to have taken to it rather well." she replied as they sat back down. Martha greeted everyone at the table with familiarity, except Rose. Rose was painfully aware that even Donna knew this woman. Martha finally met her eyes and held out her hand.

"Martha Jones, you must be with Torchwood." she said. Rose smiled and shook her head.  
"Not technically, no. I'm with the Doctor." she replied. She noticed Martha's countenance drop slightly and she wondered why.  
"Martha, I'd like you to meet Rose Tyler." the Doctor interrupted. Martha's jaw dropped and she looked between them, looking for confirmation. The Doctor nodded to her, his joyful grin giving it away.  
"No way!" she squealed. "He found you!" she laid her hands on the table and dropped her voice. "You are going to have loads to tell me about before you left, I mean he never says anything."  
"Tell me about it." Donna rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. Rose smiled at the two just as Martha's phone rang.  
"They're here." she said, quickly picking it up. "Yes sir, two minutes." she stood and hung up her phone. "Let's go meet the boss."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Chapter updates happening soon!_

"So who is this boss of yours?" Owen was the first to step inside the large conference room. The room was nearly the length of the hub, with a long table and a snack buffet against the wall. Martha walked to the end of the table and picked up several folders.  
"No one really knows, he's a bit enigmatic really." she smirked at Jack and the Doctor. "That seems to be becoming a trend."  
"Can you get any more enigmatic than Jack?" Gwen asked sitting herself on the table beside Martha. Martha handed her a folder and laughed.  
"Just give him a couple more hours..." she gestured to the Doctor. He'd wandered over the full windows and was pointing out different landmarks to Donna and Rose. She looked back at Jack, trying not to feel disappointed. "So, we've got aliens appearing all over New York, wreaking havoc and no one knows why." Jack nodded.

"Sounds familiar, except you don't have a rift here do you?" he asked, accepting a folder from her. He opened it up and began scanning the contents.  
"Not that I know of." She looked to the Doctor as he rejoined them and he shook his head. "We've also got strange energy readings we don't recognize. Torchwood London helped set up scanners and equipment here, but no one understands what is coming in."  
"Torchwood London? They should have been shut down after Canary Wharf." Jack remarked, frowning. Martha nodded.  
"The equipment was installed before the battle and afterwards most of the employees that survived came here." she said. The Doctor tightened his jaw and leaned forward.  
"Those people caused Canary Wharf Martha." he said. She turned to him her face grave.  
"We've been working in conjunction with UNIT and have had nothing to do with what Yvonne Hartman did." she turned away and handed him a folder. "You weren't the only one who suffered that day." He set the folder down and grabbed her arm.  
"Who are you exactly? what is this 'us' you keep referring to? Because it isn't our lives at stake here Martha Jones. It isn't your own life that you have to trust them to, it's the rest of the planet." he said fiercely. Rose laid a hand on his, gently pulling him back, watching Martha carefully. She was taken aback by his outburst and she struggled to respond.  
"Unofficially, we track alien life forms and scavenge leftover technology for the nation's defense. We're a bit like Torchwood, except we focus more on technology. Really it's just one big building of inventors." she replied at last.

"Why should I help you?" the Doctor asked, looking at her in the eye.  
"Because we have something that you may find interesting." A deep American voice rumbled behind them. They turned to a middle aged man in a well tailored suit. He gestured to the folders in their hands. "Look at the results. Go ahead, look." The Doctor flipped open the folder and riffled through the pages. He frowned as he picked up a page, holding it up for Donna and Rose to see from behind him.  
"This is impossible, you shouldn't be able to register telepathic signals, let alone get any results." he said.  
"Telepathic? What, like mind signals?" Gwen asked. The Doctor nodded.  
"Even Torchwood shouldn't have this kind of technology yet, where did you get this?" he asked. The man didn't reply, stepping over to the coffee maker and pouring himself a mug.

"Doesn't matter. What matters is the earth is facing a threat and no one here can figure out exactly what it is." he blew on his mug and turned around to face them. "We do think we know where it is coming from though. There's more in those folders you will want to read, you'll have to excuse me. I have field work to do." he bowed his head and walked out, leaving the group in shock. Jack shrugged off his jacket and sat down, looking pleased.  
"You weren't kidding when you said enigmatic." he told Martha. The Doctor stood still, his eyes still trained on the door. Donna looked at the folder that he'd left open on the table.  
"So what does this mean? " she asked. He didn't respond, clearly trying to piece it together.  
"Somethings not right." he said quietly. Martha sighed and looked at him.  
"If you don't want to trust him, trust me." she said urgently. "We need you." He looked down at Rose, who smiled encouragingly at him.  
"Alright...where do we start?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
_Author's Note: This story seems to have a life of its own and taken a different turn than I had planned! (also, some major updates happened in the past chapters, leeme know what you guys think!)_

Papers were strewn all over the table and the Doctor was pacing nervously. He'd shut out the entity in his mind, suddenly afraid of what it was. The telepathic readings had been off the charts, centralizing themselves about a half hour out of the city. They had no idea what they were dealing with, and he didn't even know where to begin looking. There was nothing that could emit such high waves of energy, and have made it to earth. He sat back down and looked at the group.

"Ok we've got radiation, and telepathic energy that shouldn't even exist for another twelve centuries, we think it may be coming from outside town, but we don't have any idea of what it is." he stated, making an attempt to form his thoughts.

"Not to mention the aliens that are popping up all over the nation, and the world." Rose stated, shifting in her seat. "But why? They're not attacking or have any clear purpose. What's the point? "  
"I don't know..." The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "Very few species can emit energy levels that high, but none of them would be found here, its not possible."  
"Well, maybe it's a mutation, some kind of experiment that went wrong or something. All countries have secrets." Owen pointed out. Gwen bit her lip, staring at the lists. They were almost all foreign to her, with symbols and meanings she'd never seen before. She turned some of the graphs around. Donna pointed to the graph she had.

"These numbers, they represent the levels of telepathy, right?" she asked. Jack nodded. "Well, can we identify the species with the level of telepathy?" The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets.  
"The readings are too jumbled, they measure the energy collectively. We'd never know if we were dealing with one of them or eight hundred." he replied.  
"Maybe, it's like the weeping angels, whatever it is feeds on a certain energy." Martha commented. "It draws the aliens in and feeds off the residual energy of their journey."  
"Oh that's brilliant!" he cheered. "Jack have Tosh cross-reference all the aliens that we have so far, see if they have anything in common." Jack nodded and pulled out his phone.  
"Do you know what's weird to me?" Owen spoke up, leaning back in his chair. "You've got all this energy and all these aliens, but nothing's happenin'. They're not attacking or looking for anything. I mean yeah, if you're hungry you eat, but what do you do with all the leftover energy? And why now? we've never had this problem before." The Doctor looked grim.  
"I don't know." he stated again, he met Rose's eyes and she chuckled softly.  
"That's twice in two minutes that you've said that." She turned to the group. "You will never hear that again." she leaned back in her chair, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. She shivered, a cold emptiness creeping into her mind again, reminding her of the parallel world. It wasn't quite so empty, a faint humming still occupying her mind; it was just enough to bring back the aching loneliness she'd felt. The Doctor noticed her change in demeanor and squeezed her hand.  
"It's going to be ok." He said with a smile. His presence calmed her down, and she smiled back.

"Yeah." she curled her fingers around his and turned to Jack as he hung up the phone.  
"Seems our aliens have nothing in common, except for two things - they're all lacking in significant transportation, they couldn't have come here naturally, ergo someone is bringing them here." he began. "They also are devoid of any type of energy signals or radiation which would suggest that our mysterious telepath draws them here then feeds off of whatever energy it used to get here."  
"That seems redundant." Gwen stated. "Why use energy to bring them here, only to feed off of that energy?"  
"It could be a different energy, or some kind of radiation." The Doctor replied. Rose nodded.  
"Like void stuff...so, the question is how are they getting here?" she asked. The Doctor grinned at her.  
"Always asking the right questions." He looked at the rest of the group. "Only one way to find out! Let's go ask!" Donna rolled her eyes as he stood up.  
"Here we go again." she got up and looked at him. "How do we know it isn't going to play mind games with us and make us all kill each other?" The Doctor's grinned widened.  
"We don't!" he picked up a paper with coordinates on it. "Allons-y!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Why is it always the creepy abandoned warehouses?" Owen got out of the car and looked up at the building. "Just once, I'd like to hunt one of these guys down in a parking lot." Jack opened up his vortex manipulator and ran a scan of the building. He looked back at Owen questioningly.  
"A parking lot?" his voice was dubious. Owen nodded as if it was obvious.  
"It's well lit, makes it easy to see, add a couple cars for cover. Less obstruction and no aura of foreboding." he explained.  
"He's got a point." Donna nodded.  
"But where's the fun in that?" River stepped out of the doorway, her familiar cheeky grin on her face.  
"Professor River Song, you've returned." Jack stepped forward, smirking back at her. She let out a delighted 'oh' and shook her finger playfully at him.  
"How marvelous, I'm going to be a professor!" she laughed at Jack's look of confusion. "Spoilers, Jack!" she sashayed toward the rest of the group. "Doctor," she paused and smiled at Rose, nodding slightly. "Rose." she turned to Gwen and Owen, gasping. "You're so young! This must be the first time you've met me, fantastic!"

"Sorry, who are you?" Gwen spoke up, slightly put off by this woman's confident familiarity. River turned to her, realization dawning on her face.  
"River Song, Professor apparently." she held out a perfectly manicured hand. Owen shoved his hands in his pockets.  
"And how is it that you know who we are?" he asked suspiciously. The Doctor rolled his eyes dramatically.  
"Don't you think this can wait, Martha's at the base waiting for us to call." he asked impatiently. River shot him a glare and he snapped his mouth shut. Rose leaned into him and giggled, still amazed at the control that River had over him.  
"I'm a time traveler, I never really meeting anyone in the right order. I know who you are, but this is the first time you've met me!" she looked absolutely thrilled with the idea. "I must be far back, you've only just returned haven't you Rose?" she asked, a mischievous look coming over her face. There were days when she particularly loved knowing the Doctor's future, and this was one of them. "Alright what've we got?"  
"Telepathic signals seem to be coming from this building and they're through the roof." the Doctor responded. River looked up at the building, pulling out her own device.  
"That's odd, you shouldn't have another telepathic species for another four galaxies." she typing away at her scanner, thick hair swinging behind her.

"So we've heard." Owen followed her, sounding annoyed. She looked back at him, eyebrow raised.

"I forgot how much of a prick you could be." she stated. Gwen and Jack burst into laughter behind him. She turned back to the Doctor, showing him her scanner.

"Besides you two, you've got a telepathic field that could encompass the planet. Not to mention the zeta radiation is off the charts." River explained. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Us two? What do you mean us two?" he started to grab the scanner out of her hands and she bit her lip.

"Ooh, you don't know yet. Pretend like I never said that." she pulled the scanner back and adjusted the settings. "The zeta radiation levels here are fantastic, whatever this is has been messing with the Vortex." River said, glaring at the Doctor. He wasn't going to let it go, but she was going to do her darndest to distract him.. Jack peered over her shoulder.

"Now that is nifty, what is that? 54th century by the looks of it." she smirked back at him.

"Nicked it off a lovely man who tried to have me arrested."

"Oi!" the Doctor cleared his throat. "Business please." River rolled her eyes at him.

"Now you know how we feel." she waved to the building. "Come on, let's see what we've got!"

"What did River mean by zeta radiation?" Rose asked as the group trooped inside. The Doctor didn't respond as he stepped inside. The building felt perverse and sickening and he stopped at the door unwilling to go any further. River had already ascended the stairs and turned out of sight, following the loud humming that came from the other side of the building. The entire group paused as they heard her shout.

"Doctor!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Again this story seems to have taken a turn I wasn't expecting - I really wanna hear your thoughts!_

"Doctor!" The group nearly leapt up the stairs and scrambled toward the buzz that had begun to get significantly louder. Owen rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks; the light nearly blinded him and he shielded his eyes, scanning the room for River.  
River stood a little ways from him, her eyes transfixed on the huge machinery before them. It had a central column that reached to the ceiling that was encased in a sharp edged console. Thick cords ran across the floor, connecting all over the console. Light permeated the air through a gold smoke that swirled around them; it shifted itself as the Doctor and Rose walked in, backing away from them. Rose held up a hand and the gold shied away, darkening the air around her as if it was repulsed by her touch. Her eyes caught on the machine and she felt the horror of it. It felt perverse and wrong and she unconcously stepped closer to the Doctor, seeking his hand.  
"It looks like the TARDIS." she stated simply, suddenly very afraid. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. The Doctor didn't respond, sharing her horror and fear. He looked stiffly around the room, not moving anymore than he had to..  
"What is it?" Gwen asked, she walked around the machine, examining the cords. She held one up for them. "They're not connected to anything."  
"Then where does it get its power?" Owen pulled a vial out of his bag scooping the swirling mist and getting a sample of the gold.  
"From the aliens." The Doctor replied grimly. "It's feeding off of the Vortex residue and zeta radiation of the aliens." He walked slowly towards it, watching as the air bent and moved around him.

"What is it?" Jack repeated, looking at Rose. He could feel her worry, as if it had somehow managed to permeate the air around them. He shuddered involuntarily, remembering the year that never was. "It isn't the Master is it?" The Doctor shook his head, turning around to face them.  
"I think someone tried to build a TARDIS, but why?" he whirled back around and took a step back.  
"So this what's drawing them in." Owen stated. River shook her head walking back over to him.  
"It doesn't have that much power, someone must be feeding it." She swirled her hand in the air. "They obviously want it alive."  
"It's a machine, it can't be alive." Gwen walked back up to Jack.

"TARDIS' are very much alive." The Doctor said, his voice becoming tight. "On my planet they were grown, not built. Years ago there was an illegal trade for young ones. Investors thought that if they could start growth on other planets, they'd make a fortune on the harvest." he smiled back at Rose, who was sending him her support. She didn't even have to express it, he felt it, as if he had originated the thought himself. He narrowed his eyes as the air around her shifted again. The air kept its distance from her, fluctuating with her movements, Jack looked the same, the smoke finding the same repulsion from him. He held up a hand to his face, watching the gold quickly back away from him as he moved. The rest of the group was nearly ensconced in the air, the gold swirling in their hair and clothes.  
"There's something wrong about this, it doesn't feel right." River stated, watching him. Rose nodded, shoving her hands in her pockets and tensing her shoulders.  
"It is wrong. It's a hybrid or an experiment. It's been altered and mutated, it doesn't have its original functions. It's been left to do nothing but extract energy to live." The Doctor said bitterly. He strode towards the door, grabbing Rose's hand and rushing out.  
"We need to find who did this."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
Author's Note: I'm so sorry this took so long, work took over my life. I love feedback!

The Doctor walked quickly to the car, paying little attention to the others behind him. All he knew was he needed to get out of that building; he had to get as far away from that thing as he possibly could. It felt worse than Jack; it felt corrupted, like a part of its essence had been tampered with. A thing was all he could decide it was. It wasn't quite a TARDIS, but it was sentient and feeding off of the Vortex. But why? he leaned on the SUV and shoved his hands in his pockets; the question plagued him mercilessly and finally he looked back up, half expecting them to have left without him.

"Why? What does someone want with a mutated TARDIS?" He rumpled his hair, making it stick out at all angles. "Why are they keeping it alive?" he looked back up at them expectantly. Rose was standing beside him, their arms touching; she looked grim as she stared at their feet.

"Who are we dealing with?" she asked quietly. "How dangerous are they?" He sniffed and looked up at the warehouse.

"Either they are very stupid, in which case they could be planning anything without full knowledge of the consequences and that makes them very, very dangerous." He paused and looked back at the team. "Or they know exactly what they're doing, in which case they know how horrific the consequences of their actions are, also making them very, very dangerous."

"Any ideas on how to find these guys?" Jack asked. The Doctor nodded at Owen, smiling faintly.

"We go back to base and run a scan for whatever residue we found in that room." he replied. "It's likely that whoever is feeding this, is carrying the residue around them, in their clothes, hair, shoes." He pointed at Gwen's hair, gold particles glistening in the sunlight. "Although that brings up a very good point, you've all got it in your hair." He gestured to River, Gwen and Owen. "I can explain Jack and I, but what I can't explain is Rose..." he turned to her, a frown appearing on his face. Rose smiled faintly back, squirming under his gaze. He was worried, she knew, and she felt bad for not telling him. It wasn't exactly a conversation she wanted to have in the parking lot of a deserted warehouse. "You haven't a speck of that residue on you. Standing there, it was like it you repelled it."

"Why?" she asked innocently. Her eyes flicked over to Jack and she tried to change his focus. "It happened to Jack too, is it because we traveled in the TARDIS?" The Doctor's eyes widened and he looked at Jack, his own fear threatening to choke him. River was smirking at him, waiting expectantly with Jack for his answer. When did he become so good at lying to her? He rubbed the back of his neck, guilt rushing through him as he finally just nodded.

"Yeah...that must be it." he said, his voice becoming several keys higher. Rose knew he narrowed her eyes at him, recognizing his obvious discomfort.  
"Well that's easy isn't it, except...River?" she turned to her. "Have you traveled in the TARDIS? In the future I mean." River's mouth twitched, attempting not to laugh.  
"Why yes, Rose I have. Not too long from now actually." she grinned as the Doctor sent her a deathly glare. Rose turned back to him, looking serious.  
"Not to mention Gwen and Owen this morning, so maybe it isn't the TARDIS." she stated. Owen dropped his bag and crossed his arms looking annoyed.  
"No, maybe it's something you ate." He said sarcastically. "Don't we have more important things to do?" The Doctor nodded in relief, pushing himself up and opening the car door. Rose glared at him.

"This isn't over." she said, poking him in the chest. He sighed, trying to hide the fact that he was anxious. He boarded the SUV beside her, thinking about the inevitable conversation they would have to have; he was worried about Rose. Her body shouldn't have been resisting the residue, but what did she have in common with him and Jack that would cause it? He watched her, their close quarters allowing him to pick up on her tense muscles. She was worried, he couldn't tell why, but he could sense her apprehension. That was another thing that bothered him, since when could he feel what she did? Humans weren't strictly telepathic, but he'd never been able to sense her emotions like this. He rested his hand on hers, his thoughts overwhelming him.  
Rose relaxed slightly against him, encouraged by his gesture. Guilt harassed her, she hadn't specifically lied to him, but he needed to know, he had a right to know. And now he was worried about her, merely because he had no idea what was going on. She couldn't blame him, she'd only just got back and the reality of it still hadn't sunk in. She herself almost half expected to wake up in a Torchwood medical lab and find it was all a dream. Jack was plaguing her as well, if she could blame her own condition on the Vortex what excuse did he have? She rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder, taking comfort in his presence and attempting to shut out her thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Martha sat across from the phone, waiting expectantly. They'd left nearly an hour ago and Jack at least would have remembered to check in. Donna watched her, sipping her tea quietly and wondering what she was thinking. Donna had seen the imperceptible look of disappoint in her eyes when the Doctor had introduced Rose; she'd also noticed that Martha's ring finger was bare, a sharp contrast to when she'd last met her.

"What happened?" Donna asked quietly, gesturing to her hand. Martha looked down and laughed bitterly.

"They'd just offered me the job out here and he wanted me to choose. He wasn't going to come out here, he loved his job and wanted to stay." Martha looked out the window, trying to forget. "In the end I chose this, because I need it. I need to know that I am helping the world in the best way I can." Donna nodded.

"I'm sorry." she said faintly. Martha looked back at her, forcing a smile.

"Who needs a man anyway? They run around thinking they own the place, insisting their way is best." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. In a way, she was grateful Rose was back, it made the Doctor less of a distraction for her. It still hurt though, finally meeting the woman that was the cause of his months of ignorance. She looked up at Donna.

"He is happy, isn't he? Now that she's back?" Donna grinned.

"I don't think I've ever seen him so...at peace." she replied. Martha nodded, looking back at the phone.

"Maybe after all this is done I'll go take a long vacation." she muttered. The phone rang and she picked it up hurriedly. "Jack? Did you get there?" she looked up at Donna. "Ok, yeah we will. I'll have Steve take you to the lab. Yeah...bye." She hung up and stood.

"They're already on their way back, Jack said they want to run tests on some contaminated air they found onsite, back to work." she rolled her eyes and gestured for Donna to follow her out the door.

Donna set down her mug and slipped her hands in her pockets. The stamina her friends had would never cease to amaze her, but sometimes she wished they would stop acting and be honest with each other. Every one of them hid behind some mask, that shielded them from the others. Even the Doctor and Rose were hiding from each other and she wondered vaguely how long that would last. For a group that spent their time, risking lives and fighting for all they had, they were ruled by fear. They let it control and define them. She watched Martha's stoic professionalism and sighed. Somehow she knew it wouldn't be long before she too hid behind the same mask.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The lab was significantly larger than the hub, as well as significantly cleaner. Each station was immaculate; every syringe and vial had its own place, carefully organized and ready for use. Owen was impressed as he walked in; the enormity of it all was astonishing and the endless amount of supplies nearly made him ecstatic. He grinned, imagining the pranks he could pull on the team. Jack walked beside him, looking bored.  
"It's not...homey. Reminds me too much of a hospital." he commented. He smirked at several of the scientists that watched them walk by, sending a particularly nice looking blonde a wink.  
"Over here Jack!" Martha stood at the opposite end of the room, by several of the large testing machines. Jack threw his coat over a chair and surveyed the mass of metal and wire behind her.  
"That is impressive, some of this stuff won't be invented for another four centuries!" he said touching one of the screens. Owen tossed his bag on the table and ruffled through it, pulling out the vial and heading over to one of the more high tech scanning machines. River watched him work for several seconds before tsking loudly.

"Why is it that you scold me for stealing other people's technology, but the American's get away with it?!" she asked as the Doctor meandered by. Donna noted his tense posture, and wondered vaguely what was bothering him. He sat on the edge of the table, accepting a mug of tea from Donna and glared at her.  
"Because I can't stop them." he replied dryly. She grinned sweetly back at him then turned to Martha.  
"You haven't met me yet. I'm River Song, time traveler, archaeologist..." she paused. "Professor." she said proudly. Rose rolled her eyes.  
"You're not a professor yet River." she giggled slightly and Donna groaned.  
"She's at a different point in time isn't she?" she asked exasperated. The Doctor nodded and Donna scowled. It was confusing enough to time travel, but her head was still swimming from the day before. As if River didn't seem to think rewriting time was enough, she had to come back and confuse them all the more. "So...this is past River?" River grinned and saw Martha's look of confusion.  
"The Doctor and I never meet in the right order. Strictly speaking, I travel backwards across his timeline." she explained. Martha's eyes widened in amazement and a grin spread across her face.  
"So you know his future?" she looked at Jack and they both shared a mischievous look. The thought of knowing something that the Doctor didn't begged to be used against him. "So, tell us, are we expecting any baby Time-Lords soon?" The Doctor choked on his tea, spewing it all over his suit as Jack and River burst into laughter.  
"Oh I like you, Martha Jones." River turned to watch the Doctor stare at them, his mouth moving in an attempt to retort. He couldn't even look at Rose, whose cheeks had flushed beet red. Jack was still chuckling until the Doctor finally snapped his mouth shut and glared at him. He stopped laughing and leaned over to Martha.

"They're not..." he paused, searching for the right words. "They haven't, defined their relationship yet. I don't think he knows how to, he's complete rubbish." he said softly. Martha's rolled her eyes in agreement and they both began to giggle.  
Rose attempted to ignore them as she helped the Doctor clean off his suit with the sonic screwdriver. She refused to look him in the eye as she scanned his sleeve, her thoughts awhirl. She knew how he felt, she thought, but did he want that? They weren't officially a couple and she wondered if he didn't think it was too domestic. He was tense, before her, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. He was embarrassed, she knew, and hopeful. Rose bit her lip; she didn't know how she knew, but she did, almost as if he'd told her himself. Hopeful was good, she thought unconsciously, at least he wasn't angry or upset.  
"Rose..." his voice was quiet and shaky. She looked up at him, making sure to keep her face guarded. He shook his head and looked away, not knowing what to say. Did she want that? Did he? His mind was racing with possibilities, but he didn't even know if she wanted that with him. A family, the words were so foreign and domestic, but the thought of sharing that with Rose was comforting and filled him with Doctor stared at the table, keenly aware of Rose in front of him.  
"Is that...I mean..." Rose stammered, trying not to sound so embarrassed and afraid. She let go of his sleeve and twirled the screwdriver in her hands. Briefly her eyes snapped up to his and her mouth began to twitch into a smile. "Would you want that someday?" A smile began to form on his face and he opened his mouth to speak, just as Owen let out a whoop of excitement.  
"We have a match!" He exclaimed pointing to the screen. The Doctor scowled, squeezing Rose's hand before reluctantly walking over. He tried to hide his disappointment, burying his hands in his pocket and lodging those thoughts away for later. "According to this, we have a very rare and fairly harmless particle radiation. Not much is known about it now aside from the fact that it is a mutation of Zeta radiation." he looked up at the Doctor. "That keeps coming up, but what is it?"

"Zeta radiation is an element of the Time Vortex, years from now the Time Agency is going to attempt to use it as an energy source." he squinted at the screen. "So whatever that thing was back there is giving this off. That explains why it was repelled by me and Jack. Contact with the essence of the true Vortex would cause an adverse reaction..." his voice trailed off as he looked up at Rose, the implications of his words nearly knocking him over. His first thoughts were watching her on Satellite 5, the fear of her dying immobilizing him.

"Jack has the Time Vortex in him?" Gwen asked incredulously, she looked skeptical. "Is that some kind of joke? How'd he do that?" Jack looked at the Doctor, waiting for him to answer. "Is that why you can't die?" Gwen asked. Rose had to turned to him, horror on her face as Gwen spoke. He had the Vortex in him because of her, she'd tried to save him all those years ago and she'd thought she had failed. Yet here he stood, evidence of what she'd done.

"You can't die?" she asked softly. Jack nodded, his jaw tense. She stood, shock sweeping over her and she realized what that meant. In trying to save him, she'd cursed him and made him, wrong. She didn't know how, but she knew whatever he'd become shouldn't have happened. The Doctor was staring at her, open mouthed, waiting for her to speak. He was hurt that she'd lied to him and so afraid that he was going to lose her again. He wouldn't be able to go through it again.

The room had gone quiet, waiting as Rose met the Doctor's eyes again, both of them stricken. "You lied to me." she finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "You let me think he was dead, when instead he was alive, cursed with this." Her guilt and anger raged through her, tears creeping into her eyes.

"Well what about you?" he responded, his own voice cracking. "You can't even tell me what's happened to you? How do I know that it isn't going to try and kill you again?!"

"I didn't know until Pete's world, and we haven't exactly had the right moment since I got back. But you had a year to tell me, a year!" she stepped forward, her anger getting the best of her. "He's our friend, what kind of excuse do you have for that?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you." he stood straighter, his own anger flaring.

"No, but you could have told me the truth." she answered, tensing her jaw.

"Calling the kettle black, are we?" he retorted, his eyes clouding over. A whistle pierced the air and all eyes snapped to Donna.

"Oi! Both of you will take this outside and sort it, and you will not return until you have." she glared at them. "I will make sure you are locked out of the building." The Doctor clenched his jaw together and looked at River and Jack. Both of them avoided his eyes, smirking at each other. Donna was glaring specifically at him now and he cringed. The Doctor looked back at Rose. She refused to meet his eyes, leaning back on the table and pressing her lips together, she was waiting for him to say something. Part of him wanted to sweep her in his arms and reconcile it right there, but he was still bitterly hurt that she didn't trust him with this, and so very afraid of what might happen next. He finally took a deep breath and turned to Jack.

"Rose will have her cell phone; you can call if you need us." He looked back at Rose, resisting the urge to hold out his hand. Instead he shoved his hands in his pants pockets and glanced at the door. "Coming?" she nodded curtly, following him as he led the way outside. Donna frowned, watching the two walk out separated from each other for the first time since Rose had come back. She turned back to the group.

"Come on guys, back to work." Jack stepped back towards Donna. "They'lll be fine." He whispered to her. She smiled faintly.

"They better."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Rose led the way into the cafe, her heart beating wildly. She'd managed to calm herself down as they had walked out and she was beginning to regret her outburst. He'd had more than enough right to know and she'd hurt him by lying about it. She stared off blankly, trying desperately to find something to say. The Doctor rested a hand on her arm, the touch startling her out of her thoughts.

"Do you want a cuppa?" he asked softly. She nodded, looking around the room for a table. Spotting one in the corner and she went to sit down while the Doctor ordered for them. The window opposite her opened out into the street, giving her a view of the people that rushed by; she tried to guess where they were going, judging them by their clothes and walk. Few of them paid any heed to their surroundings, meaning only to get to their destination as fast as they could. The Doctor quietly placed a mug in front of her and sat down; he looked so desperately sorry and still so hurt. Rose clenched her jaw as he opened his mouth to speak.  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jack." he said, looking hesitantly at her. "After...after I regenerated it was something I tried to forget, but then I met him again when I was traveling with Martha."  
"Why did you try to forget him?" Rose looked up and met his eyes. She thought she knew already, could feel it when she realized Jack had the Vortex in him. She relaxed slightly as he tried to find the words he needed; she'd forgiven him long before they'd even walked inside, but that fact that he was opening himself to her was endearing.  
"Jack became more than immortal, he became a fact in time. That's never supposed to happen, it's wrong." He looked back down at his own mug. "In the moment it happened I could feel it, he goes against my very nature, so I left him..."  
"And you saved me." Rose finished. He nodded, his grip tightening on his cup.

"You remember." he stated numbly, making failed attempts to not worry. All he could feel was the terror that he'd felt watching her stand before him, with the power of the Vortex taking over her. He had been so afraid that he would lose her, after all she had done for him. She'd cared enough to do the impossible and come back, at the risk of her own life, to protect him. Rose nodded gently and looked away, training her focus on the people coming in.  
"It was my fault, wasn't it? I did it to him." she pressed her lips together and looked back down, trying not to look at him. The guilt she felt overwhelmed her; she knew what it felt like, to know that there was nothing to live for and yet there was no relief in death. She wouldn't have wished it on the Daleks, let alone Jack. The Doctor touched her hand lightly.  
"You did it because you cared for him and you couldn't control it. He doesn't blame you." he said softly. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered her first Doctor, grinning at her with his mad ears.  
"I killed you, and I cursed him." she took a breath and looked down, trying to compose herself.  
"I took the Vortex out of you knowing that I was going to regenerate. I wasn't going to watch you die." he replied urgently. He hoped she knew that he'd do it over again, so long as he wouldn't lose her again. The pain of all of his fears all coming true was something he was still coping with. Rose held up a hand and gold swirled around it, matching the glow that appeared in her eyes.

"I don't think you got all of the Vortex." she said quietly. The gold swirled between them, dancing on the currents of air; light and cheery, the gold flicked toward him before vanishing into the atmosphere.  
"It's impossible." he breathed, fear coursing through him again. "It should have killed you."  
"A long time ago, Blon Fel Fotch looked into the heart of the TARDIS and she became an egg. You said you thought the TARDIS could translate all kinds of thoughts and that's why the TARDIS gave her a second chance." His eyes widened as he remembered. She took a deep breath and continued. "I think she did the same for me. I came back because I didn't want you to be alone, and she made sure you weren't going to be."  
The Doctor didn't respond, his eyes still transfixed on the gold before him. Hope and anxiety battled within him, as the implication of her words began to sink in. What did this mean? Was she like Jack? Would she be able to die? Why would she wish this on herself? He still had so many questions to ask, and he sat back feeling slightly overwhelmed. Rose smiled faintly at him, sensing his confusion.  
"At least you won't have to worry about me being stabbed or poisoned or anything." she said lightly. His eyes snapped to hers.

"I'll always worry about you." he said solemnly. Rose's smile grew and she took a sip of her tea. The Doctor gave a dramatic sigh. "Well...this is new. When we get back to the TARDIS I want to run a couple of tests, just to see how you've changed and I want to make sure you're ok." Rose winced and shook her head,  
"No tests, please, not yet." she looked up at him. "Pete's Torchwood already discovered enough, I don't need to know any more." His eyebrow shot up and he frowned.  
"What did they do?" he asked, leaning forward. His voice became dangerously low and she shook her head at him.  
"That isn't important." she replied reaching across and taking his hand.  
"It's important to me, I don't want to see you hurt." he replied.  
"I know." she smiled at him. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner..."  
"We've been busy." he grinned and she bit her lip, grinning back.  
"Always are, and I wouldn't have it any other way." he stood suddenly, still holding her hand, and came around the table, pulling her out of her seat.  
"What say, for a couple hours we stop being busy and I give you a tour of the town and you can tell me all about new new Rose?" He asked excitedly, his eyes twinkling with excitement. Rose swung their hands and nodded.  
"Yeah, I think I'd like that." she replied. The Doctor tugged her hand and pulled her out the door.  
"Rose Tyler, meet the original New York City."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_Author__'__s __Note__: __I__'__d __love __to __know __what __you __think __about __the __new __direction __that __this __goes__!_

Owen sat at the computer, watching the the lines flux across the screen. He frowned and narrowed his eyes; he wracked his brain trying to make sense of the readings. River perched herself on the desk in front of him and waved her manicured hand in his face.

"Don't work too hard." she thrust a mug in his hand and he nodded gratefully.

"That's why we're here isn't it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. River smirked and rolled her eyes at him.

"Is this really what I dealt with for all those years?" she crossed her legs and leaned back, surveying him.

"Obviously it's not that bad if you keep coming back for more." his mouth twitched slightly, a small smile forming on his lips as he brought his mug to his lips. River burst into laughter. There was the sarcastic flirt she knew so well. He'd become his own master of the mask, hiding away his enthusiasm for life behind his dry and sarcastic exterior.

"How'd you like a drink later? I'm sure they won't need us all day, and I've heard there's this lovely little place down the street that becomes a real party at night." River leaned forward. Owen smiled and nodded, a bar sounded like just what he needed.

"I'd like that." his grinned widened with excitement. This was the life, an exciting job, mysterious woman and a night on the town. Too many days he got stuck with the exciting job, and it was usually too much excitement. It would be nice to have a night where no one was in jeopardy or dying, and he could discover a new city.

"You need it." River sat back, her face becoming solemn. She raised her chin and directed him to look at Jack. "I know he makes everything out to seem so bleak, and I know that theres so much horror out there." she paused and looked back at him. "But don't you ever stop and think, look at it, it's so different and strange and beautiful!"

Owen raised an eyebrow. She looked like she was becoming excited and he briefly thought about how he could get away. She seemed to sense it and she glared at him, quickly making clear he wasn't leaving.

"Yes," he nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, we've seen some cool stuff." he replied in an attempt to appease her.

"Oh don't try and placate me, I know when you're doing it." she crossed her arms and pretended to look stern. Owen shook his head at her, confused.

"How do you know that?" he leaned forward and gave her his own stern look. She put a finger to her lips and smiled.

"Spoilers." she hopped off the table and began to walk away. Owen's eyes reverted back to his computer screen and he gripped his mug.

"You're not the only one with spoilers..." he muttered. He heard her footsteps pause and then return. The outrageous smirk still on her face.

"You think so." she stated, leaning against the desk. Owen refused to look at her, his own grin growing.

"I know so." he tapped at the keyboard flipping through several more screens and she pushed herself off the table.

"I take that as a challenge." Owen looked up at her.

"You're on."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's been over an hour...should we go find them?" Martha shut her folder and looked up at Jack and Donna. Jack shook his head.

"They'll come back when they're ready." he nodded toward her file. "How's Owen doin'?" Martha sighed.

"Without the Doctor we don't know for sure what the signals are and what they're doing. We think they're remaining stable for now and Owen's still trying to match those air samples with what we have in the database." she replied. Martha crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "The one time we need him..." she rolled her eyes. Donna frowned at her.

"That isn't fair and you know it." Donna knew her friend was hurt, and she leaned forward. "Don't dwell on the past, focus on the present. We're here now and you're leading this. Give us something to do." Martha smiled faintly and nodded.

"Yeah...alright." she stood. "Let's catch us some alien."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Author's Note: To my faithful readers, I am SO sorry this took so long - I had a serious lack of computer and a very large amount of block - but TADA! here it is, with more to come soon =] also, THANK YOU for reading!_

The Doctor and Rose had been peacefully meandering for the better part of three hours, not bothering pay attention to where they were. The Doctor was enjoying the quiet, allowing himself to get caught up in enjoying Rose's company, something he found immensely satisfying. As they passed other couples in the street he found himself almost jealous of the normalcy of their lives. It was beginning to frighten him how domestics were beginning to sound so good.

"You hungry?" he asked looking down at her. Rose nodded eagerly, that twinkle he loved so much in her eyes.

"Starved! Where is this American cuisine you're so fond of?" she demanded, shaking his arm. He grinned and led the way down the street, taking her to a Mcdonalds near Times Square.

"The best of American cuisine." he ordered the classic cheeseburger and fries and they found a table near the window.

"Aren't they going to miss us?" Rose asked vaguely, remembering that the team was back at the lab. He shrugged and smiled.

"They can do without us for now, they've got Jack and River." he watched her, smiling. "Do you know what you are?" he asked, his voice becoming serious. Rose chewed her french fries thoughtfully, finally shaking her head.

"Strictly speaking, no. Mickey was the first one to suggest it had to do with the TARDIS, everyone else at Torchwood was convinced it was an alien mutation or something." she paused. "I suppose it could be." The Doctor took out the screwdriver and waved it.

"D'ya mind?" he asked. Rose shook her head and and waited patiently while he scanned her from head to toe, it almost made her laugh how serious he was about it.

"Well?" she asked as he checked the readings.

"It's definitely the Vortex and a bit of something else, but the sonic isn't identifying it." The Doctor pocketed the screwdriver and watched her. "You are a mystery, for now." he said. Rose nearly chuckled at him, his curiosity was burning away at him and he was dying to find out what she was. He looked a bit like a boy who'd been told he would have to wait for his christmas presents.

"It won't always be a mystery, I just need some time away from test tubes and human laboratories." she assured him. He bristled at that and she waved her cheeseburger at him. "Besides, we do know that I have the Vortex in me and that Bad Wolf isn't entirely gone, and I can't die." she gave him a stern look, trying to distract him. Pete's Torchwood was a discussion she was far from ready to have. He glared back at her, making it clear he wasn't dropping the subject completely.

"Rose..." the Doctor began, his mouth hanging open slightly as he thought about what to say. She smiled, waiting patiently for him to continue. "About earlier, about what Martha said..." Rose's own jaw dropped at his sudden change of subject.

"Yeah?" she asked, her focus now solely on him. He sniffed and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was going to say. Behind her he could see out the window to the the crowds of people that passed them. The diversity of the people was astounding; business people, artsy types, and tourists all rushed about completely intent on their destination. A shadow caught his eye from down the street and he frowned slightly. Determined that he would finish his sentence while he could the Doctor looked back at her.

"We..." he trailed off again as the shadow became larger and unusually spiky. He let out an exasperated groan. "Don't think this is over." he jumped up, picking up her trash and throwing it away. Holding out his hand, he waggled his fingers at her. "You coming?"

"Is it dangerous?" Rose asked, her heart racing.

"Does it matter?" he retorted as they walked outside. She scrunched her nose and shook her head. He led her across the street to a home goods store and she raised an eyebrow.

"Home goods? Isn't this a bit domestic?" she teased, nudging his arm.

"There's a first time for everything." he commented cheerily. As they stepped inside Rose saw a saleswoman making her way towards them and she groaned inwardly. She knew from experience how brutal retail could be, and she had no wish to be battered by a slew of sales pitches.

"Can I help you and your wife find anything?" she asked cheerily. Rose's eyes widened in surprise and she blushed. The Doctor stammered to find a reply.

"We're not...we're not married." he finally said looking sheepish. He cast a glance at Rose to watch her reaction. It was the second time that day that someone else had pointed out the obvious state of their relationship; something he had come so close to addressing. He had no idea how to talk to her about it, and it frightened him to death. Rose was sneaking a look at him simultaneously and for once that day she couldn't read his emotions. The saleswoman blinked and nodded.

"You're engaged then, or boyfriend/girlfriend?"

The Doctor opened his mouth automatically, but didn't respond. He didn't know what to say; how could he, when he didn't even know what they were. A scream ripped through the store cutting off his thread of thoughts.

"S'cuse us." Rose apologized as they ran off in the direction of the scream. A small crowd was beginning to gather around near the pots and pans and the police were already rushing through the building.

"What is it?" Rose stood on tiptoe, in an attempt to see over the crowd. She could just barely spot something green and shiny, she thought they looked like Doctor looked grim, his eyes focused on the small contraption that the Police had just picked off the body.

"I don't know, but I do know how it got here." he said. "We've got to talk to Jack."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Jack!" The Doctor swept into the room, looking slightly perturbed. Owen spun around in his chair. He slouched lazily and crossed his arms.  
"They left. got bored and decided to help control some of the larger species coming in." he stated. "Donna and Martha are still here somewhere." The Doctor nodded curtly and walked up to his computer.  
"Do you have your comm?" he asked, taking Owen's keyboard and typing away. Owen nodded, casting a curious glance at Rose. She just shrugged, sitting down on the table and waiting patiently for the Doctor to start explaining. "Good, get Jack on it, I want to to talk to him. Also get Torchwood on, tell them I want everything they have on the Time Agency." he said. Rose frowned.

"Isn't that where Jack worked?" she asked. The Doctor nodded emphatically, turning to her.  
"That alien that we found in the store, it had a vortex manipulator, standard for time agents. You can't just get them anywhere, you'd practically have to kill an agent to steal his manipulator." he told them.  
"So, how'd the alien get one?" Owen asked, looking up at him.  
"Exactly. It's a bit of a long shot, but Time Agency are the only people with the knowledge of the Vortex and how it works." The Doctor stated, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms. Rose swung her legs off the table.  
"So you think the Time Agency is involved in this somehow, but why? What are they doing?" she asked. He pressed his lips together, thinking hard.

"Vortex radiation, telepathic signals, and aliens from all over the galaxy." his brow furrowed. "They're foolish but not destructive, they work to change history but without leaving a scar, making it look like it had never changed at all."  
"So...maybe they're planning to change time? Is there a big event coming up they could want to stop?" Owen asked. The Doctor shook his head.  
"They know better than that, the results could be catastrophic, besides what could be so big and calamitous that they would risk the damage it'd create?" He looked up as Martha and Donna walked in, both of them looking grim.  
"D'ya get it sorted?" Donna asked, giving him a scalding look. He feigned looking insulted and smiled at Rose.  
"Yeah, we did." Martha handed him several papers.  
"It's the archangel network all over again, the telepathic waves are beginning to interfere with the computers and phones. We think they're trying to send a message." she told him. Rose stepped forward to read from behind him. She looked at Martha questioningly.  
"What's the archangel network?" she asked. Martha frowned.  
"It's a bit of a long story, a low-level psychic field surrounded the earth and tried to brainwash the entire human race." her jaw tightened as she spoke. Donna raised her eyebrow and looked at the Doctor.

"Why do I always miss these things?" she asked. The Doctor chuckled at her and shook his head.  
"Jack's on his way in." Owen interrupted, gesturing to his comm.  
"Good, how's Tosh doing with the Time Agency?" the Doctor asked.  
"Nothing significant yet." Owen met River's eyes as she walked in.  
"The Time Agency? What have they got to do with this?" River asked, hands on her hips.  
"I don't know yet, but who else knows about the Vortex, let alone how to access it." the Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a breath. "It's worth a try." Owen held up a hand.  
"Oi, we've got something..."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"It's the sample," The group gathered around Owen's chair as he pointed to the screen. "At first the computer was having a hard time tracking down other particle carriers, so I narrowed the search and and now it's pinpointed someone in this building." he explained.

"Can you give us a floor?" the Doctor asked impatiently. Owen tapped away at the keyboard, the screen zooming in on the map before him. "19th floor, looks like fourth door to your right." Owen looked up at him. "Don't even think about it." Martha remarked suddenly. The Doctor looked up at her, his eyebrow arched. "All floors above the 15th are lent out to private companies and employees are kept strictly out of their hair. If you so much as look at the floor number I could lose my job." She glared at him sternly and his stood to his full height, eyeing her with concern. "You've changed Martha Jones." he commented, leaning back on his heels. Her jaw tightened and she looked away. "Whoever is in that room has come in contact with the mutated TARDIS, and we need to find out why." he looked back at Owen, still watching Martha out of the corner of his eye.

"Can you track it?" Owen made a face. "Not consistently, the computer isn't programmed to track moving objects and the search would have to be restarted every couple minutes." he said. The Doctor scowled and looked back up at Martha. She sighed and pulled out her phone. "Fine. I'll see what I can do..." she grumbled. She pulled out her phone and frowned at him. "But only because you'll go blundering in anyway." "Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I don't blunder!" Donna snorted, trying to hide her chuckle. "How much longer have we got here?" Owen asked, taking a peek at the clock. He was bored and very ready for a night on the town. The Doctor sat on the desk and shrugged. "Not much we can do right now..." He looked at him. "You haven't left all day, why don't you take a break and see the city?" Owen grinned and stood up. "How about that drink River?" he looked up at her mischievously. River smirked back, taking his arm as he offered it to her. Rose and Donna stared open mouthed as the two walked out the door, shock on their faces. River paused just outside the doorway, winking at them. "We'll be back, don't wait up!" she waved and disappeared. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack stared at the Vortex manipulator in his hand. He didn't even know what to think; they'd found it on the wrist of an alien that was picked up in Times Square, but how did the alien get it? He frowned as he walked back into the lab with Gwen, passing Owen and River. He almost didn't catch them, but River was smirking as she passed, looking quite pleased with herself. Gwen giggled beside him, the two were so oddly paired she just couldn't help it. Jack held up the manipulator for the Doctor to see as they walked in. "Stole this off a rather drugged up Hthalo in Times Square..." He handed it to the Doctor. "Time Agents can't afford to be careless, you'd have to kill one to get his manipulator."

"I know." the Doctor replied, waiting for Jack to finish his thought. "You don't think the Time Agency is involved, do you?" Jack asked. Gwen sat down and raised her hand. "Isn't that where you and Hart worked?" she asked. "What would they want with all of this?" "The Time Agency changes time, small things without being noticed. They could be trying to change something in the future, but they're not usually this bad at botching things up." Jack commented. "We've also got a lead on that air sample Owen took," Rose interuppted just as Martha returned, glaring steadily at the Doctor. "You've got an appointment for tomorrow morning with Bill Robinson of Cage Enmity, I told them you'll be taking a secretary so you can take Rose." She shook her pen at him. "Don't cause trouble. I'll have Owen give you a portable scanner and any bugs you want." "Cage Enmity? What kind of company name is that?" Donna asked. "Cage Enmity?" The Doctor frowned. "'Didn't they patent the first manipulators? They shouldn't be around for another couple of centuries." "Do you think they have anything to do with the Time Agency?" Jack asked. The Doctor looked at the group and smiled. "Theres only one way to find out."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_Author's Note: Thank you to all you faithful readers! I hope you are enjoying this!_

"You do know how to treat a girl." River raised her wine glass to him and Owen nodded in return. The high class restaurant was a far cry from the bar she'd been expecting as their first stop. Not that she would have opposed a drink, but this was much quieter and more appealing. It also proved that he was interested in her, he only made lavish attempts to impress women when he was serious about them. So far so good, the last thing she needed to add to the day was another time change. She smiled mysteriously at him.  
"I've learned a thing or two over the years." he commented mildly. That grin of hers was completely unnerving; it made him feel jumpy, like she anticipated his every move. She seemed to read him like a book, and while she found it wildly entertaining he was slightly irritated at all of the scrutiny. All the while, he was completely intrigued and he was waiting for her to slip up, accidentally revealing her 'spoilers'.  
"And I am to be the next notch on your belt?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Owen gulped, the weight of her question settling hard on him.  
"No," he pretended to look offended. "What, I can't just take you out for a nice dinner?" River chuckled and shook her head.

"Not you, no, I know better than to trust you." she took a sip of her wine, her eyes sparkling from above the rim.

"And yet here you are..." Owen smiled and leaned back in his chair. River set down her glass and watched as several well dressed couples passed by them. "If you know so much about me, why are you still here?"

"Those are spoilers Owen Harper. it's dangerous to know your future." she responded, keeping her voice light. "You should know that." Owen scrunched his nose.

"Alright then. Well you know all about me, so why don't you tell me who you are." he replied, leaning forward again, his face serious.

"It doesn't work like that, there's too much of the future at stake." she replied.

"Of course..." Owen said sarcastically, frowning slightly. "Well what can you say?"

"I'm an archaeologist, I time-travel on occasion," she winked at him. "And I love danger."

"Is that why you time travel?"

"No, I started out looking for the Doctor, but now it's just adventure." she smiled. "If you're so intrigued it's going to take more than dinner to get to know me." Owen smirked.

"I can see to that." he raised his glass and winked at her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"What're you doing?" Donna asked, sitting next to the Doctor. He'd glued himself to the computer again, typing away and ignoring the cup of coffee that Gwen had brought him.  
"Keeping busy." he stated simply. She nodded and leaned her arms on the desk, watching him.  
"So you got everything sorted?" she asked again, watching him closely. He paused and looked at her, smiling softly.  
"Yeah." his eyes flicked back to Rose, and he opened his mouth to speak again, suddenly looking hesitant. "Well, at least the important stuff." So they hadn't sorted everything, but Donna didn't need to know that. She had that look on her face though, he'd seen it before. She knew and she was rolling her eyes at him.  
"Oh you didn't...what did you do for all that time?!" she smacked hard in the arm. His procrastination was surely going to drive her, and everyone else on their team insane. "Don't tell you went searching for aliens..." The Doctor frowned.  
"No...not intentionally, they found us. It always happens that way doesn't it?" he tried to look innocent. Donna looked clearly exasperated and she slouched in her chair, eyeing him with disappointment.  
"At least she knows, right? You were out for hours, you at least snogged her properly didn't you?" she lowered her voice and leaned forward. His eyes widened and he turned back to the computer screen. He definetly didn't have a response for that one, and he pointed to a spot on the screen in an attempt to change the subject. Donna's eyes were wide as well and she looked horrified. "You didn't snog her?! You git..."  
"Shh!" he whirled around in his chair and held a finger to his lips. "I'm working on it!" he frowned. "I told you I'm rubbish at this, it's going to take time. I've never...this wasn't how we did it back home. I didn't even acknowledge my feelings for her until we were separated, we weren't supposed to have feelings, especially for humans." he sighed. Donna tilted her head.  
"Well the sooner you get this worked out the better, I mean how are we supposed to introduce you two? Partners? Couple? Boyfriend/girlfriend..." she trailed and gave him a meaningful look. He glowered at her.  
"I know, I get it." he scrunched his nose. "I don't even know what we are..." he looked at Rose, his features relaxing. "She's so much more than just a girlfriend, we have a word for it in my language but I've only ever used it once." His eyes returned to Donna's, but she guessed his mind was with Rose. "S'funny, I can't imagine using it for anyone other than her."  
"Then tell her!" she urged him. He shook his head emphatically.  
"Not yet, that wouldn't be fair." he responded turning back to his computer. She scowled.  
"Is it part of some weird alien ritual?" she asked, disgusted and still slightly curious. The Doctor chuckled.  
"Weird? No. Alien...yes." he smirked. She rolled her eyes at him and left alone, silently cursing his alienness. It was looking like she'd have to knock their heads together, and she knew just who would help her.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Do I look like a secretary?" Rose spun in front of Donna. The TARDIS had accommodated her with black slacks and a maroon blouse; she'd forgone the black heels in favor of the more comfortable converse, she wanted to be prepared in case they had to run.  
"You look smashing." Donna smiled. Rose straightened her shirt and scrunched her nose.  
"I'd forgotten how much I hated this. We used to dress like this all the time on Pete's world, we were always going to dinners and press conferences." she stared at the walls of the TARDIS, her mind roving thousands of miles away. "Mum loved it, it was a dream come true for her." She pressed her lips together and looked back at Donna. "Sorry." Donna chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't be, heaven knows I'm used to it thanks to him." she laid a hand on her arm. "If you ever need someone to talk to, let me know." she smiled faintly at her and Rose smiled back.

"Thank you Donna, I may take you up on that sometime." Rose stepped forward and hugged her. "Come on, lets go make sure he isn't burning the kitchen down." she led the way out of the wardrobe and into the expansive kitchen. Jack and Gwen sat at the table looking amused as they walked in. The Doctor was setting plates of eggs and bacon on the table, as well as a large stack of fairly burnt toast. Rose let out an exasperated sigh.

"How many times do I have to remind you that not everyone likes their toast rock-hard?" she teased sitting down. He scowled playfully at her, giving her a mug.  
"I can't help that I make it the right way." he retorted. Donna smirked and picked up a slice, twisting it in her hand to survey it.  
"He's getting better, it's not completely black." she commented. He sent a prideful grin to Rose before pulling the kettle off the stove and sitting beside her.  
"Voila! Breakfast and a proper cuppa." he waved his hand at the spread on the table. He was rather pleased with himself, he'd managed to cook something that didn't involve any strange alien food and he hadn't drastically botched it. Donna didn't look so sure and sat down hesitantly.  
"Oh come on, have a little more faith. He used to cook for us all the time, didn't he Rose?" Jack said in an attempt to reassure her. Rose nodded vigorously, looking mischievously at the Doctor.  
"Oh yes, he was so good we had banana creme pie for three weeks in a row." she chuckled.  
"Oi, it's not my fault pounds don't translate properly on Vagara!" he looked at Jack. "The look on your face though, when you saw all the bananas!" he and Rose burst into laughter. Gwen smiled uncomfortably and looked at Donna who just shrugged.  
"I've learned to just laugh with them, there are somethings we may never understand." she said feigning seriousness.  
"Speaking of understanding, where's Owen and River?" Jack asked. "Has anyone seen them this morning?"  
"If I know Owen, they'll both be late. Safe and probably slightly rumpled but fine." Gwen commented as she drank her tea.  
"Well hurry up, we've got places to be," The Doctor gulped his tea and looked at Rose. "You ready?" She grinned.  
"Yeah."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The office of Cage Enmity was sterile and clean, devoid of any clutter or knick knacks. Several bookshelves were filled with large volumes of encyclopedias and novels, and a large desk graced the center of the room with several chairs. The Doctor directed Rose to sit down while he circled the room.  
"What do you notice that's odd?" he asked, pausing at the window that overlooked the street. Rose frowned.  
"Well he doesn't have a secretary," she began. She stared at the desk, an idea coming to her. "Theres no dust or plants. Everythings bare, like he just moved in." The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and stood by her chair, his eyes still roving the room, just as a rather portly looking man rushed in. Sweat sprinkled down his balding head and his suit was rumpled.  
"Hello! You must be Mr. Robinson!" The Doctor greeted cheerily holding out his hand. Mr. Robinson stared at him wide eyed.  
"Bill, please call me Bill." he uttered hastily, ignoring the Doctor's hand and rushing to his desk. He sat behind it and began to open drawers, keeping his eyes on them. "What can I do for you? I was told you're from marketing."  
"Marketing, yes! That's us, I'm John Smith and this is Miss Tyler, my secretary. We're looking for new companies to help...market, and we were interested in yours." The Doctor grinned disarmingly, taking note of the flecks of gold on the man's cuffs.  
"How did you hear about this?" Bill looked slightly alarmed, and he paused shuffling through his drawers to train his focus on them. "I don't want a lot of advertisement, that isn't what this is about."  
"Then what is this about?" The Doctor straightened to his full height. "I've got evidence that you have a machine, one that could completely alter the human race." Bill pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow.  
"How'd you know about that?" his eyes narrowed and his voice became fierce. "That's top secret information."  
"We've got connections in very high places." Rose commented.  
"And one of those connections would be willing to buy out this, machine of yours for a very high price." The Doctor added, looking to Rose for confirmation. She nodded curtly, trying not to smile at him.

"You're not marketers, are you?" Bill stood up and scowled. "Get out, I don't know who you are or what you want but get out."  
"We just want to help, whatever your doing, its dangerous. You're putting the whole of the human race in jeopardy." The Doctor took a step forward, looking serious. Bill shook his head.  
"We're saving the human race, we're leveling the playing field so Gettysburg and Amsterdam don't happen again. It's for our own good." Bill explained.  
"You don't know what you're dealing with." The Doctor stated.  
"What do you mean, 'level the playing field'?" Rose asked simultaneously, standing just behind the Doctor.  
"We have specialists, they know what they're doing." Bill leaned forward across the desk. "Now get out."  
"You're working for the Time Agency aren't you?" The Doctor took a step closer to the desk. Bill leaned back, his jaw dropping.  
"How do you know of the Time Agency?"  
"Connections." The Doctor replied sternly. Questions were being answered, only to present more questions. Rose was calm beside him and he reached out for her hand, his mind comforted by her presence. Bill looked around the room nervously.  
"It's a pet project they have, it's why I am here, to protect it. I don't know why or who it's for. They don't tell us that, just that I have to make sure it's alive." He held a finger to his lips. "I didn't tell you that, you didn't hear it from me."  
"Then listen to me Bill Robinson, stop. Stop feeding it, let it die, you don't know what they've created and what it could do. You have to stop." The Doctor leaned his hands the desk and watched the man with sympathy. He wrung his hands and shook his head.  
"I can't, they won't let me, even if I managed to stop and leave, they'd find someone else to do it. I'm sorry I can't." he looked at the Doctor, fear chilling him to the bone. The Doctor stood back, his grip on Rose's hand tightening.  
"Then I'm going to have to stop it."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Donna leaned across the table, catching Jack's eyes and looking pointedly at him. Gwen pressed her lips together and looked between them uncomfortably.  
"We have to do something." Donna stated seriously. Jack nodded, his mouth twitching into a smirk; he knew exactly what she was thinking. He crossed his arms and looking back up at the door.

"But what? It has to be something subtle but powerful, otherwise he'll catch on to us." Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully, reaching into his past for his more successful matchmaking attempts. If they were going to set up the Doctor and Rose it had to be unexpected and inescapable; that'd be his biggest challenge, preventing the two from running away. The couple seemed to have an unhealthy knack for it. Gwen was looking at him, doing her best to look only vaguely curious He could see right through _that_ look and rolled his eyes at her dramatically. "Matters of the heart are best left to the professionals." he stated.

"And you're a professional?" Gwen chortled. Jack grinned at her and shrugged.

"Considering how many relationships I've been in, I'm the closest you can get." Jack replied.

"Jack..." Gwen glared at him. "Just because you're an intergalactic Casanova doesn't mean you can foul up other peoples relationships."

"It's not fouling, it's..." Donna paused and searched for the right word. "Nudging, we're nudging them in the right direction." Gwen looked skeptical and picked up her mug.

"Who are we nudging?" River strode in, Owen and Martha behind her.

"The Doctor and Rose." Jack gestured to the food and the table and scooted his chair over to make room for them. River let out an exasperated sigh.

"Gosh...yes. Heavens they could use a bulldozer." She walked over the cupboard and handed plates to Owen and Martha. "It's amazing how thick he can be."

"Aren't they together?" Owen looked up at River in confusion. Gwen was watching him over her mug, smirking viciously. He was properly mussed and looking slightly tired, just as she'd said he would. Owen caught her eye and raised an eyebrow at her before burying himself in food.

"Strictly speaking, yes. They can't breathe without each other it seems sometimes." River commented dryly, sitting next to him.

"But he can't seem to make it official." Donna finished. She leaned back in her chair and growled. "He's the flippin' Lord of Time and he can't ask her out on a proper date."

"Be fair Donna, how long has it been since he's done this?" Jack asked. Donna scrunched her nose.

"That's just it, I don't think he ever has." she paused. "You forget that he's alien and then he brings up something like this...s'weird."

"I know a guy at Delmonico's that owes me a favor, we could get them a reservation, pretend like it was one of ours but we can't go and guilt trip them into going instead." Jack suggested. Martha nodded from where she was leaning on the counter.

"He wouldn't need much persuading for that, he of all people would know the history of the place. I wouldn't be surprised if he waltzed in her and invited us to go right now." she pointed out. Jack grinned, pulling out his cell phone.

"Delmonico's it is, and a cozy table for two."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Ladies and Gents, we are taking a field trip." The Doctor announced as he strode back into the kitchen. He eyed them, wary of the peculiarly innocent looking faces. He looked back at Rose, his suspicion clearly conveyed. She didn't respond, but glared at Jack, sure that if something was up it would have originated with him.  
"Field trip? Where?" Jack asked, doing his best to look innocent.  
"Time Agency, it's probably best that you stay here Jack, to avoid crossing your timeline." The Doctor stated casually. "Besides, someone has to keep this lot under control, make sure our aliens aren't getting out of hand." Jack glared back at him.  
"Fine. I get Martha and Gwen." he paused an idea popping into his head. "And Rose." The Doctor opened his mouth to argue but Jack held up a hand. "In case we've got to help out in the field, I can take her and Gwen for back up and still have Martha here." Martha scowled at him from her mug and he winked back at her.  
"He's got a point, I can help." Rose said. The Doctor snapped his mouth shut and frowned.  
"It isn't like she'll be more than a universe away, all you have to do is hop back in the TARDIS and she'll be here safe and sound." Martha added, keeping her tone light. Her words still struck a cord and his eyes darkened.

"I'll be fine." Rose said softly, resting her hand on his arm. He looked down at her, his lips twitching upwards.

"You better be. I'm holding you accountable Harkness." He nodded toward the door. "Go on, do whatever you Torchwood people do. I'll send reports via the comm." Jack saluted him sharply, marching out of the kitchen. Rose squeezed his hand before leading Gwen and Martha out.

"I'll see ya later!" She called.

"Not if I see you first!" The Doctor responded, a small smile on his face. River looked at Donna and pretended to gag.

"He's got it _bad_."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The Doctor watched suspiciously, Rose followed Jack out of the TARDIS. Jack was trying to send him a message and he resented it. Mostly because he knew what Jack was trying to do, and it irked him that he couldn't get the nerve to do it himself. All it had to be was a simple conversation; a simple 'What are we Rose? What do you want to be?'. He scrunched his nose and turned back to Donna, who'd followed him from the kitchen. He shrugged his shoulders, attempting to look nonchalant.

"What?" he asked, stepping automatically toward the console. The Doctor busied himself with the controls, afraid to look up and see that knowing smirk on her face. She read him almost as well Rose, and it still made him uncomfortable.

"Stop worrying! She'll be fine!" Donna responded, stepping beside him and attempting to catch his eye. He grunted, allowing himself to get caught up in the complexity of flying the TARDIS.

"I'm not worried!" he insisted. He could practically hear her rolling her eyes at him.

"Oh please...you've got that look on your face."

"What look?" he paused and looked at her, momentarily confused. Donna pointed, grinning.

"That one! It's your, 'I'm pretending not to worry, but I'm fearing the worst' look." her eyes narrowed and she glared at him accusingly. The Doctor scowled and slammed a lever down, causing the TARDIS to halt unexpectedly, nearly throwing them both to the floor.

"I'm not worried!" he repeated. He picked himself off the floor and brushed off his suit. River and Owen staggered in, both looking indignant.

"Have we arrived?" River asked sweetly. The Doctor gestured to the door and grabbed his coat off of the seat. River raised her eyebrow as she passed him, obviously disapproving. "She's been gone what, two minutes? It's a wonder we put up with you before she got back."

"Oi! Business!" Donna reminded, swinging her arms towards the door. The Doctor sniffed and straightened his posture, shoving his hands in his pockets and striding out the door. River passed Donna and scowled playfully at the Doctor's back.

The four of them stepped out into a large hallway, the walls and floor laid in steel panels. Several small portholes looked out into space and small rope lights tracked across the walls.

"What are we looking for?" Owen asked. He looked up and down the hallway, automatically scanning for personnel.

"The Boss, we need to have a word." The Doctor's voice was grim. He turned sharply and walked down the hallway, leaving the rest of them behind. Donna shut the TARDIS door and began following him reluctantly.

"Come on! Don't just stand there gaping!" she called, motioning for Owen and River to follow.

"Oi! You there! Halt!" That voice sounded oddly familiar. The Doctor cringed outwardly and turned slightly, noticing the time agent in the corner of his eye. He wasn't usually one to argue with guns, so he gestured for the group to turn around and they faced the man. Donna gasped, immediately recognizing Jack.

"Jack?" Owen frowned. This Jack seemed different, much younger and much less burdened.

"This isn't our Jack." The Doctor explained. Jack's grip on the gun tightened and he pointed it at the Doctor.

"What do you mean 'our' Jack? Who are you?" he asked. The Doctor sighed.

"I'm the Doctor. We know you...a future you. Don't ask for particulars, you should know how it goes." he replied.

"If you know a future me, why are you telling me that? and why are you here? Are you time agents?" Jack questioned. River looked to the Doctor expectantly, her eyes dancing.

"We're not time agents...specifically. We're here because we need to speak to whoever is in charge, someone from the time agency is trying to change the past. Not just change the past, they're trying to change human existence." The Doctor told him.  
"Why should I believe you?" Jack lowered his gun slightly. Donna took a deep breath and relaxed.  
"Because you trust us. You're not sure why, but you do." the Doctor took a step toward him and Jack narrowed his eyes.  
"I can take you to the conference room, they're having some sort of meeting and all the big guys will be there. Inside you'll be totally your own, I can't go in with you and they'll be likely to punish you before you open your mouth." he warned. River shrugged.

"We're no strangers to danger." she replied,

"If you breath a word about me showing you there I'll string you up myself." he replied fiercely. The Doctor grinned.

"Brilliant! Lead the way Captain!" he gestured down the hall. Jack folded his arms together and refused to move.  
"One more thing, you call me Jack? No one here knows that name, why do you?"  
"It is the only name we know you by." The Doctor said. Jack frowned, looking clearly troubled. He unfolded his arms and sighed.  
"Follow me." Jack led the way down the hallway and they trooped after him. Owen watched him incredulously.  
"Can we trust this Jack?" he looked to the Doctor. The Doctor didn't respond immediately, keeping a sharp eye on where they were in case they needed a quick route back to the TARDIS.

"We don't have much choice." Jack halted at a thick door, the outside engraved with thousands of alien languages. For the first time since stepping on the TARDIS, Donna couldn't read any of the words and the immensity of them was astonishing.  
"I suppose I don't have to worry too much about you ratting me out if you don't know my name." he smirked. "Be careful in there, they're up to something. I've been trying to work it out, but I have this inconvenient desire to stay alive." The Doctor cringed slightly at that, looking up at the door to avoid his eyes.  
"I'm sorry." he said. Jack raised an eyebrow, holding his hand to the scanner on the wall.  
"Just don't cause trouble." he replied. He slunk back as the door opened. River was chuckling at that, and Owen saluted as they headed inside.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

_Author's Note: OMIGOSH it's been prolly a hundred years since I last uploaded and I am SO sorry! I was having serious block and a load of plot bunnies...lemme know what you think!_

The room had gone completely quiet as the group stepped inside. Everyone had turned in their seats to stare at the newcomers. There was a quiet rustle of paper as a tall, older man stood and stepped forward. He moved slowly, dragging his body as if from exhaustion, but he kept a strong stance and glared at them through piercing blue eyes. "What is the meaning of this? I assure you that I can have your licenses suspended for disturbance." his voice was steady and threatening, matching the look in his eye. "It's a good thing we don't have licenses then." River commented, stepping forward and scanning the room. The setup looked much more like a parliament then a meeting; a main table graced the center of the room, where the man stood watching them, and around it were steel bleachers. The bleachers were engraved to match the door, with writing on the columns that held them up.

"What do you mean you don't have licenses? Are you not part of the Agency?" the man asked. "Fortunately no." the Doctor said, matching his gaze. "I shouldn't have to ask you to leave." the man reached up and adjusted the glasses that were perched on his nose. "I just hope you know what you're doing." the Doctor slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. "Sorry?" the man paused, looking suspicious. "It seems like you've got a big project going on, with all the aliens across the world and the TARDIS you've hidden away, what's it all for anyway?" the Doctor took several steps into the room, beginning his obligatory pacing. The man's eyes widened and murmurs began to echo throughout the room. "How did you know about that?" he asked. Owen snorted. "How couldn't we? Aliens showing up across the globe, strange signals we've never seen before. Even the skeptics were beginning to think something was up." Owen said. "Who are you?" the man leaned heavily on the cane in his hand. "That doesn't matter. What matters is we're here to stop you." The Doctor stopped pacing and looked at him, clenching his jaw. The man just chuckled at him. "You don't even know what we have planned."

"Doesn't matter, you're threatening the planet, and I have to warn you that it won't go down without a fight." the Doctor straightened to his full height, feeling suddenly less worried. Physically he knew Rose wasn't there, the distinct emptiness in his hand proved that, yet he felt that she was still with him somehow. The entity in his mind had taken up space in his head, something he'd tried to ignore the past several days. Now he let his mind hone in on it, relishing the contact and drawing from its strength. "We seek only to create a better life for the human race, by making them equal with the gods." the man said. " "Don't you understand the consequences of that?!" the Doctor asked wearily. Donna noticed the slight slump in his shoulders. "With great power comes great responsibilty." she commented. The Doctor nodded, smiling at the reference. "Are you ready for that? Are you ready to take on the responsibility?" he asked. "and what if this doesn't work? You could create a blackhole destroying your own past. The human race would cease to exist." the buzz of the parliament whispering became louder and the man knocked loudly on the table beside him, the ring of the steel quieting the group.

"It will work." he said firmly, looking back at the Doctor. "And we will not be stopped. You have no idea what you're up against." The Doctor pressed his lips together and turned to Owen. "Tell them we're headed back, I want a report on thise readings." he said, his voice tight. River looked up at the parliament, her face deadly serious. "You really should think twice before you do something stupid, fortunately for you, he won't let me use unnessesary violence." River let her hand rest on her blaster. "However, my way tends to be faster and less complicated. He's giving you a chance, and I advise you don't waste it." "Security will escort you out." the man nodded curtly at the door and incessant talking began again. The Doctor turned on his heel and walked out, nearly running into Jack and several agents standing outside the door. "We've got your back. Get outta here."

Jack rubbed his hands together. "Two years I've been investigating these guys, waiting for them to slip up. I think it's time to stir things up..." he grinned and winked at them. "Two years?" the Doctor's jaw dropped, a grin forming on his lips. "You go get 'em Captain." Jack grinned and saluted him as they ran off. "Two years!" The Doctor crowed running into the TARDIS. "That...that is brilliant!" "Shouldn't we be worried about this changing time or something? Will this change him?" Donna asked. The Doctor grinned and jerked a lever on the console. "That's the beauty of it...whatever he's plotting, it won't succeed and the Time Agency is going wipe his memory. Two years of his life, gone. He'll leave the Agency to try and get his memory back, and that's how he meets us!" the Doctor laughed. "Brilliant!" "So if we can unlock Jack's memory, we'll have an inside perspective." River stated. The Doctor nodded, his grin never leaving his face. "You are loving this aren't you?" Owen said, leaning against the console. The Doctor looked up at him. "Oh yes!"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

_Author's Note: SO it has quite literally been ages since the last chapter - I am SO sorry, but TADA here is the next one and it's a bit longer! YAY! Lemme know what you think! Thanks for reading!_

Jack's phone rang as he stepped out of the TARDIS. He grinned mischievously at Martha and Gwen and walked away to answer it. Rose glared after him and settled herself on one of the desk chairs.

"I always worry when he grins like that." She commented. Martha smirked and headed straight for the coffee machine.

"Tell me about it….Usually I'm just too afraid to ask." She chuckled. Gwen joined her and grabbed several mugs. "You have to tell us all his dirty little secrets." She said pouring coffee intot the mugs. Gwen groaned and laughed.

"I don't think you want to know…sometimes I wonder that I'm not more scarred from just working with him." She replied. Rose giggled.

"Oh do tell….." she encouraged and Gwen handed her a mug. Gwen grinned and cast Jack a glance as she sat down.

"Well….there was this one time, I had just walked into the hub…." She began. Rose and Martha both cringed.

"The hub?! Really…does he have no decency?" Martha asked, giggling. Jack snapped his phone shut and walked back toward them.

"No Martha Jones, I don't. It's more fun that way." He winked at her and took a gulp of Rose's coffee.

"Oi! That's mine!" she protested. Jack ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry Rosie, I'll pay you back." He said, sending the other two women a knowing look. Rose scowled and clutched her mug closer.

"I'm not sure I want your kind of payback." She retorted.

"Oh I think you're going to like this." He leaned on the desk and grinned at her. She raised an eyebrow and him, and then turned to the girls.

"What did you do?" she asked warily. He shrugged and held his hands out innocently.

"I'm just trying to help my two best friends, is that so wrong?!" he asked cheerily.

"What did you do?!" she demanded, sounding exasperated.

"Nothing! I just thought you and the Doc would like some alone time, you know….dinner, candles, wine." He shrugged again and folded his hands, looking pleased with himself. Rose groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Jack…" Rose warned, her tone dark. A lab assistant rushed up to them, his hands full of papers and files.

"Here we go…" Martha sighed and folded her hands, preparing to go back to work .

"We've got a problem…" the lab assistant shoved his clipboard into Martha's hand. "The readings are off the charts, and the aliens are becoming more frequent and more aggressive." Gwen got up, walking to the computer screens behind Rose. Security cameras showed the streets that surrounded the building, several aliens running across the street and bothering passerby. Gwen frowned and leaned forward across the desk.

"Is there anyone out there trying to control them?" she asked warily. The assistant nodded at her.

"We have several teams out there, trying to keep them in hand, but it keeps getting harder. They're saying they want to bring the Army in." he replied.

"No! They can't do that!" Rose exclaimed incredulously. The assistant looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?"

"Because they'll slaughter them." She said gritting her teeth. He rolled his eyes at her and turned to Martha.

"We're awaiting your orders."

"I don't want the Army anywhere near here, you Americans are worse than Torchwood. I want the most recent readings on that machine as well as the reports from throughout the night." Martha told him.

"We're happy to help if you need it." Gwen piped up.

"Besides, we could use some excitement." Rose reluctantly got off her chair.

"South street, we could use a team there." His eyes flickered briefly and his tone was flat. "Fantastic!" Jack narrowed his eyes and watched him carefully for a minute, suspicious of his sudden change in demeanor. He turned and saluted Martha. "Can you hold down the fort?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a good thing I like you." She commented. He winked at her as he ran out the door, followed by Rose and Gwen.

"I don't see anything." Gwen said looking around the street. "It's quiet."

"I know…." Jack turned on his heel and walked back up the street, opening his vortex manipulator and scanning as he went. "I'm not getting any life forms…" he said quietly.

"Any?" Rose asked, peeking inside several parked cars.

"None." He turned back to them. "I don't like this."

"Where did everyone go? People don't just disappear, especially in New York." Gwen said. Jack didn't respond and began walking away.

"Come on, we're going back." He called. Rose and Gwen looked at each other and frowned.

"Jack we can't just leave." Gwen said. He turned to her, knowing and dreading the look she was giving him. "An entire street of people have _disappeared_." She emphasized the last word. He looked to Rose, mentally pleading with her to understand.

"That's just it, whatever it is that has that kind of power….it's massive and dangerous and we're not safe." He responded. "The Doctor will be back and we can form a plan of action, but this," he waved at the empty street. "Is not something we can face on our own." Rose nodded slightly, noting the tiredness in his voice.

"And what about all those people? Did they die? Where are they?" Gwen challenged him.

"The Doctor will know." Rose said cheerily, trying to alleviate the tension.

"Of course he will…." Gwen breathed sarcastically. Jack's eyes widened and he tensed.

"Don't move." He said. Rose instantly tensed and searched his face, looking for something to read from. Gwen frowned, warm air blowing down her neck. "Ok…slowly move toward me." Gwen took a small step forward and he nodded. "Come on, slowly. Try not to make sudden movements." Rose followed her, the two inching forward as smoothly as they could. Rose frowned and turned her head as she heard a step behind her.

It was tall and green and vaguely reminded her of a dinosaur. Its skin was rough and thick, and loomed over them. Its mouth was short and round, but it's teeth were long and jagged and it didn't have eyes. Rose bit her lip and slowly stepped backward, keeping her eyes trained on it. Her step was miscalculated and she bumped into Gwen. Gwen squeaked and waved her arms to regain her balance, but their presence had been alerted. With a mighty sweep, it swung its arm towards them and they both ducked and it missed them by inches.

"Ok run!" Rose exclaimed hopping to her feet. Jack led the way as the alien thundered behind them, he could hear the TARDIS materializing before them and picked up the pace, just as he heard a scream and a sickening thud. The blue of the TARDIS appeared before them and he screeched to a halt and whirled around, his heart pounding. Gwen nearly ran into him, but Rose was several feet behind, blood running down her forehead. She was grinning weakly at him, and he opened the TARDIS doors for her.

"It had to be you." He scowled playfully. She pointed to her head.

"I'm getting better at this, I've stopped bleeding already!" she said proudly as she gasped for breath. The alien lumbered up to them and he pushed Gwen and Rose inside the TARDIS. The Doctor ran up to them, his eyebrow skyrocketing when he saw Rose's head. Silently he swept her into a hug, holding her close.

"I'm fine." Her muffled voice said from his shoulder. He looked down at her with a knowing look and led her back to the door. Their alien stood outside the TARDIS, paused as if it was waiting for them.

"That is beautiful…" he said in awe. Gwen put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"It just tried to kill us." She said dryly.

"Oh but that's its natural instinct," he began, shutting the door again and facing her. "Yupva aren't born with eyes, so they have to rely on sound to capture prey. They can literally hear movement!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"That's why when I ran into Gwen it attacked…it heard her nearly fall." Rose said, drawing from his energy. He nodded, softly laying a hand on her face.

"Go wash up, we've got news." He said quietly. He let his hand rest there, trying to quell the worry that had seized him when they'd first landed. She smiled, feeling his emotions swell.

"I'll be right back."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

_Author's Note: Phew! I can't believe this has taken so long! thanks for sticking with this! Lemme know what you guys think I love feedback! Thanks!_

The Doctor was staring at Rose's back as she left the room. She was hurrying, but her strides were hesitant and uneven; he momentarily contemplated kicking everyone out of the TARDIS to just sit and hold her, but Donna was staring at him, silently reminding him that they still had work to do. Jack had slipped his hands in his pockets and and cautiously took several steps toward him.  
"Look," Jack said, drawing the Doctor's attention away from the hall door. "It appeared out of nowhere, I couldn't stop it..." he purposefully avoided meeting the Doctor's gaze. The Doctor nodded, laying a hand on Jack's shoulder.  
"I know." he nodded faintly at him, then whirled around and yanked a switch on the console. "We need Martha for this. I've got some good news for you Jack, you're about to get two years of your life back." Jack's jaw dropped as the TARDIS jerked into motion. Gwen looked over at Owen questioningly and he shrugged.

"How?" Jack managed to get out, following the Doctor's erratic dance around the console. The Doctor turned and grinned at him.  
"OH...let's just say we ran into an old friend..." he said. Rose stepped out just then, her hair and face washed and devoid of any evidence of a wound. Owen stared open mouthed at her, and she grinned at him in response. He squinted back at her and pouted, his curiosity burning. After all the madness they'd seen over the past two days, somehow the Doctor and his companions were still surprising him.  
"Never a dull moment then eh?" Gwen commented, coming to stand beside him. He nodded and she gestured to Rose. "D'you think she's an alien?" she joked. Owen shrugged and crossed his arms.  
"I think, with this lot, anything can happen." he said, winking at her. Her eyes widened and she smirked at him.  
"Alright...team, gang? Allons-y!." the TARDIS shuddered to a halt and the Doctor looked up, searching for Rose. He relaxed as he saw her standing nearby, and held out his hand for her. She rolled her eyes good naturedly but slipped her hand in his. He was still worried about her and she leaned into him, partly out of exhaustion and to reassure him she was ok. The Doctor tightened his hold on her hand as they left the TARDIS, chaos erupting before them. People were rushing in and out of the lab, exchanging directions and files quicker than they could blink. Martha stood at the end of the lab, staring solemnly up at the security screens overhead.

The Doctor wove his way through the crowd of people to her. He watched the group carefully, trying to pick up on snatches of conversation.  
"What's going on?" Rose asked Martha as soon as they were in earshot.  
"Oh my gosh are you ok?!" Martha whirled around to her. Her jaw dropped as she surveyed Rose's healed face. "What the..."  
"Long story, Martha what's happened?" the Doctor pointed to the security screens. They showed several surrounding streets that were devastated and completely empty.  
"At first it was just riots, aliens wreaking havoc throughout the town." she handed him her clipboard and he took it, his eyebrow shooting up. "But now whole streets are just disappearing and the readings have spiked, what about you?"  
"The Time Agency won't budge, they think that they can improve the human race." he replied bitterly. Rose groaned and rolled her eyes.  
"We all know how well that goes."  
"The good news is we have someone on the inside." the Doctor grinned slightly as the rest of the group sat at the table.  
"Who?" Martha put a hand on her hip and stared at him incredulously.  
"Someone we can trust." he answered, his grin widening. "I don't know why I never thought about this before, it's quite brilliant actually. I suppose we were just busy, had more important things to deal with..."

"Doctor..." Rose interrupted him. He looked down to see her staring at him with that look, the one that told him he had begun to ramble without making a point. Oh he loved that look, yes he loved it, and it looked like he was going to be able to love it for much longer than he could have wished for. Staring back at her he stepped closer, suddenly wanted to rest his forehead against hers and delve into her mind.  
"Oi Romeo...up here..." Donna's sharp voice brought him out of his thoughts and he hid a grimace. How did she manage to single-handedly make him forget anyone else existed? He turned to the table and looked at Jack.  
"When we first met, you said that the Time Agency took two years of your life...how'd you like to have that back?" he asked. Jack laughed at him.  
"You're not saying that I'm your inside man are you?" he sounded incredulous. River was leaning in her chair and grinning.  
"That is is something to be said for all this timey wimey ness." Gwen leaned forward across the table.  
"How does that even work?If his memories have been erased,wouldn't they be gone?" she asked.  
"Not necessarily," the Doctor rocked on his heels. "A memory can never be truly erased, they're just repressed or locked away. I should be able to go into Jack's mind and find them."

"And what if you can't unlock them?" Owen asked. The Doctor stopped rocking and frowned.  
"Then we formulate a plan B." he said. Rose looked between Jack and the Doctor.  
"How come you didn't do this before?" she asked quietly. The Doctor shrugged.  
"I didn't think about it, we were so busy with zombies and slitheen it didn't even cross my mind." he said casually. Jack chuckled.  
"I think you were jealous." the Doctor scowled at him and Rose burst into giggles. River's eyes widened in shock and she smiled.  
"This I have to see..." River shared a glance with Donna and Martha, the three sharing a knowing look.  
"Can we focus please?" the Doctor whined, quieting the group down. He looked to Jack.  
"You ready?"  
"As I'll ever be!" Jack grinned disarmingly and waited as the Doctor put his hands on his temples.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

_Author's note: I know this took a bit long than I wanted and I'm sorry. Thank you all for reading!_

The Doctor was slightly hesitant as he placed his hands on Jack's temples. He'd heard enough of the man's innuendos on a daily basis, he didn't want to see it. He looked at Jack sternly, pausing before he began.  
"If there is anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. Or anything you know I won't want to see." He instructed, raising an eyebrow at him as Jack smirked.  
"Aw come on Doc, where's your sense of adventure?" he asked cheerfully. The Doctor continued to glare at him and tightened his jaw.  
"Not everyone is quite as adventurous as you." he said and glanced in River's direction. "Well, almost everyone." She smirked back at him and he turned back to Jack. "Now, how long has it been since you left the Agency?"  
"Mmm I'd say about just over two hundred years, it's a bit sketchy." Jack shrugged. The Doctor nodded and closed his eyes once more.  
"Good, at least that gives me an idea of where to look. I don't want to go searching forever in this mind of yours..." He frowned in concentration. Jack's mind was surprisingly orderly but he had a lot to go through. His frown deepened as he passed several very clear thoughts that Jack failed to block off; he tightened his fingers on Jack's head and Jack smirked.  
The Doctor paused his mission, attempting to sense where Jack's repressed memories were. While his mind was bright and organized, dark tones of gold, black and navy wove throughout his thoughts. The Doctor shivered involuntarily as he picked up on the heartache and despair that Jack hid so well. He felt guilty that he'd never made an actual attempt to help him through his newfound immortality and the grief that inevitably came from it. The Doctor hastily moved forward, following the dark colors as they spread to around a large empty space, attempting to twist around it like it didn't exist. As he touched it with his own mind, it repelled him, shooting him back several decades in Jack's mind. He returned with more caution, carefully judging the space for a weakness. It was small and nearly undetectable but he pressed and it blossomed into a full memory, two years of actions and thoughts throwing him out of Jack's mind. The Doctor let go of Jack's head and stepped back, waiting for him to assimilate the new memories.  
"That's...wow..." Jack sat down, his eyes wide. "All this time...I thought I...but I was inciting a revolution!" he grinned up at the Doctor. "Guess I didn't need you after all, I was getting along just fine." The Doctor rolled his eyes.  
"Don't get cocky, we need to know what they're doing." the Doctor replied.  
"Give me a second, there's a lot to sort through," Jack looked up at River, rubbin his head as he tried to sort through his thoughts. "I'm beginning to understand what it's like to have all this madness in your head...and I only had two years..." River nodded slightly. "We didn't have a lot of information, me and a couple others had managed to tap into their meetings. It all has to do with that machine...but I don't remember why." Jack scowled and rested his head in his hands. "There's so much..."  
"I know, I'm sorry." The Doctor laid a hand on his shoulder. "That's good though, the machine is the key. Martha how are those readings?"  
Martha slipped her clipboard towards him, catching his eye and straightening under his gaze.  
"The telepathic field is growing, while the other numbers aren't. People have begun to just disappear in the streets, whole blocks have just vanished without a trace." She explained. Donna's eyes widened as she looked at Rose.  
"You don't think they're converting people do you? He said they wanted to make the human race better, like gods." She remarked.  
"But that would take...oh...oh no." The Doctor's eyes widened. "They can't..."  
"Can't what?" Gwen asked sounding slightly exasperated.  
"They want to completely rewrite human genetics...they're going to physically change the human race."


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note: OMIGOSH I AM SO SORRY this was NOT meant to take this long, however I got an additional job and literally haven't had time to sleep let alone write. But here it is! The story is wrapping up! Hoorah! Please review and give me your thoughts! Thanks for reading!_

Chapter 25

"How are they going to change the human race?" Donna asked sharply. The Doctor frowned, his mind quickly analyzing the situation. "You can't just change a species..." Rose's eyes widened as she looked at the Doctor.

"Yes you can...but that would take..."  
"I know, enormous amounts of power. That's why they were drawing all those aliens in. They could send out energy and then fed off the Vortex residue that they carried from the journey. That machine is going to act like a giant chameleon arch." the Doctor stared blankly at the group, his jaw slack. Martha gasped.  
"No...we have to stop this."  
"Hang on," Owen held up a hand. "What's a chameleon arch?"  
"It's a machine created to change someones species. It can make a Time Lord human or vice versa." the Doctor's voice had become quiet and Martha had a hand clasped to her mouth.  
"All those people..." she said.  
"Oi! When is this going to happen and what are we going to do?" Donna said.  
"It's happening now, I bet those people who have disappeared have already gone through it, but where are they going?" Jack spoke up. The Doctor sniffed loudly and looked back at the screens.

"If they're even alive." he commented. Gwen's mouth dropped open and the Doctor straightened to his full height. "Everyone in the TARDIS, now!" he hopped around the table and gestured for the group to follow him. Rose was behind him and held open the TARDIS door as they shuffled inside. The Doctor ran to the controls, nodding at Rose and River to help him. "No one leaves the TARDIS until I say."  
"Except Rose." River interrupted. He glared at her and she glared back at him. "You need her, and she's not exactly human so she won't be affected."  
"I'll be fine. Besides, you need someone. Better with two yeah?" Rose grasped his hand and squeezed it. She could feel his fear and the horror he felt for those who had disappeared. He smiled faintly at her, but the fear didn't dissipate.  
"Better with you." he said softly. She smiled back at him. River slammed down on one of the TARDIS buttons.  
"We're outside. Didn't want the TARDIS to get too close to that thing." she commented, interrupting them.  
"Are you going to reason with it? It doesn't talk..." Donna looked at him incredulously. "does it?"  
"Not specifically no." He stared at the TARDIS door. Rose tugged on his arm and led him out the door. River briefly watched them leave and then turned to the console. Flipping the screen around and turning it on she looked up at Jack.  
"Be ready in case we have to go in." she said. He nodded his head, his hand falling to his holster. They settled in front of the screen and prepared for the worst.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"They're here." The Doctor stood at the door of the warehouse and frowned. Beside him Rose could feel the pain and horror of the who'd changed; it was as if they were reaching out to her, begging for help and of people were crying in pain, overwhelming her senses.  
"Oh I'm so sorry." the Doctor's voice cracked and he took a small step back. He didn't have to tell her who he was speaking to, it clearly written all over his brushed his hand with hers, allowing a small tendril of gold to pass through their fingers. As the horror in his mind abated he turned sharply to her.  
"How...how did you do that?" he relaxed as the terror that tore through him was quieted, until he could hear himself think again. Calmness consumed him, warm like the gold that still flickered in his mind. He vaguely saw Rose shrugging, answering his question. "It was you wasn't it? And you're still there..." he put a hand to his head and stared at her, his jaw dropping. "You're in my head."  
"Is that alright? I can't really stop it, it just sort of happened." Rose bit her lip, slightly embarrassed.  
"You didn't even ask." he taunted softly. The Doctor grabbed her hand and they both faced the door. "Of course it's alright." Rose smiled involuntarily and squeezed his hand.  
"Come on, lets go save the earth."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The bottom floor of the warehouse was eerily quiet; the air was thick with the dark gold particles shimmering around them. The Doctor held tight to Rose's hand and they made their way upstairs. Gold rushed in currents past them, making it harder to see as they ascended. Humming vibrated through the upper floor and a man's voice was speaking softly in the room. As she stepped onto the landing Rose gasped faintly, an overwhelming presence filling her mind and ravaging her thoughts.  
"Close your eyes and shut him out." the Doctor whispered, his tone hard. "Don't let him in."  
"What is it? and how can he do that?" Rose closed her eyes in concentration and focused on closing off her thoughts. She silently thanked Pete for her training at Torchwood before she'd thrown herself into the job. The Doctor waited patiently until she opened her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak and she glared at him. "Don't even think about sending me back, because not only will I come back, but I'll have River and Donna with me." The Doctor scowled at her .  
"Fine, just stay close." he tugged her behind him, leading her forward into the next room. The heavy gold gave just enough light to see the silhouette crouched over the controls of the machine. He looked up as they stepped in, a triumphant smirk on his face.  
"It's already begun. You cannot change what is happening, a whole new human race! Smarter, healthier and capable of far more things than we could dream of before." The Doctor recognized the voice of the speaker at the Time Agency.  
"Don't you see? By changing your past, you're destroying your future. Lives are at stake for a project you won't even get the glory for." Rose spoke up, keeping her voice even.  
"Ah but you see," he waved a hand at the machine. "I have become a part of the machine, so as long as it exists so will I. They will praise me for what I have done."  
"And what about the pain? What about the people that will not survive this transformation?" The Doctor spat out, his anger rising. Somehow, the greed and selfishness of a soul amazed him. "What kind of cost is that for your new race?"  
"They are the necessary sacrifice, and will be remembered accordingly." the smug grin was back again. The Doctor tilted his chin up, frowning.  
"Then you leave me no choice."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"He is so rubbish." River rolled her eyes and stared longingly at the TARDIS doors. Jack glared at her, knowing exactly what she was planning on doing.  
"Don't even think about it. Whatever this is, it's big and it's scary and if the Doc says stay in the TARDIS, I vote we stay." he told her, send another look to Gwen and Owen.  
"That's very old of you Jack." River replied snidely, inspecting her blaster. "Unlike you however, I've never been one for the rules." she strolled off towards the door and turned back. "Besides, doesn't he have a dinner to go to later? It isn't something we want him to miss." Jack growled playfully at her, checking his holster simultaneously.  
"Alright, we'll surround the building. Keep an eye on the top floor in case they need back up." he looked around at the group. "Keep an eye out for those missing people." Owen saluted him and the group stepped out into the sun.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"It's too late, half of New York has already been converted and that's just the beginning! It's the dawn of a new age, Doctor." the giant TARDIS-like machine heaved loudly, the sound grinding metal ringing throughout the building. "Perhaps you and your kind won't be so unstoppable now."  
"I will stop you, but I'm giving you an option. Give this up and I can fix this, so that will never have happened." the Doctor threatened. The man just laughed at him.  
"You don't have the power." he stated, sounding amused.  
"He doesn't, but I do." Rose stepped out to stand beside the Doctor. Her TARDIS was in her mind, telling her what to do, willing her to help the people in danger. True gold flashed in her eyes, the bright wisps searing through the darker color. "He's given you the choice, if you back down now we can help you, our own technology can give you back your mind."  
"I made my choice when I bonded myself to this machine." Rose sighed wearily.  
"Your bond will cost you your life." she replied regretfully. The Doctor squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. "He is what keeps it alive. So long as they are both bonded we cannot stop them."  
"Together?" the words seemed so painful to form. She was carrying the burden he normally carried; the pain and regret in her eyes nearly broke him. For once, someone would understand him, but he would never have wished that pain on his Rose. _His _Rose. She nodded at him, her deep brown Her deep brown eyes conveying her faith in him. Without thinking she reached behind his head and pulled him down to her. Their foreheads touched, a searing blaze of gold flashing through their minds as their consciences collided. The Doctor stood quietly, his hand still clenched in hers, waiting for direction. He could hear the TARDIS communicate with Rose in a way she never did with him.

"My Doctor." Rose was in his mind, giving him a relief he'd thought he would never experience again. He smiled.

"We have to fix this. Their bond must be broken." She was saying. He nodded nodded slightly, as the TARDIS showed them what to do.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**_Author's Note: Happy Valentine's Day! I'm not going to comment on how long it's been, but here is the final chapter! hoorah! yes, I know it sucks but I thought ya'll deserved to know what was going on, I plan on editing it more later! If you enjoyed it let me know! I have more projects planned for the future ;)_**

Jack shifted his weight, making poor attempts to look at ease before Donna. They'd stepped several feet from the TARDIS so that they had a good view of the front of the warehouse. He could still see Gwen and River carefully making their way around to the back, Owen and Martha should have been on the other side.  
"He'll get this sorted, don't worry." Donna attempted to calm his nerves. He clenched his jaw together and refrained from a nasty retort. Her belief in the Doctor was endearing but naive. He knew almost as well as the Doctor that victory was rare and victory without cost was impossible.  
"You sound sure of yourself." he finally responded.

"He always has, hasn't he?" she looked back up at the warehouse. watching the gold currents that pressed against the upper windows. The tone of the color had changed, she noticed, and she squinted to see it more clearly. Dull, flat gold was quickly becoming bright and luminescent, shining through the windows and casting its rays below. "What's going on?" Jack stood a little straighter and looked up.  
"I don't know." he replied stiffly. Owen rounded the corner of the building just then, marching steadfast and looking grim.  
"We've found them." he said quietly. "They're behind the warehouse, there are a couple small buildings there. Soon as we clear out of here we need to call an ambulance, they need help. I did all I could, but they are all going to need specialists."  
"Are they coherent?" Jack asked.

"Most are coherent but slightly deluded. None of them know what happened." Owen frowned. "He messed with their minds, they don't remember who they are or what they've done."  
"At least we found them, now we don't have to account for their disappearances, can you imagine the paperwork?" Jack turned back to the building, his face becoming impassive.  
"Oi keep it together time boy." Donna chided softly. She watched his clenched jaw slowly release and he nodded slightly. Owen followed their gaze up to the windows.  
"Are they still up there?" They didn't reply as the gold continued to brighten, and a high pitched note echoed through the air. Glass began to crack and the gold seeped through the cracks and circled the building. Everyone in the group covered their ears as the pitch grew louder and glass continued to crack. With one final effort, the windows blew apart and the thick gold air spilled out before them. The cloud thinned as it circled the building once more, cleaning out the air before swirling around them and disappearing into the TARDIS.  
"What...was that?!" Donna finally managed to gasp. Jack frowned and looked back at the TARDIS.

"That is a very good question." he pressed his lips together. "I'm going in."  
"That's a great idea, come on Donna." Owen started to walk after him and Jack whirled around, both of his hands raised.  
"You two wait here. If anything happens I'll be ok, you won't. Do not follow me." he stressed the last bit of his sentence and stared particularly at Donna. She scowled at him but stayed put.  
"Hurry up."  
Jack saluted the two of them and jogged inside, looking carefully for any signs of life. The warehouse was cleared of any energy and was eerily still. As he walked upstairs and into the giant room he could finally hear heavy breathing. One look around the room proved that the old machine was decimated, and the old man sat on the floor muttering incomprehensibly. When he turned again he found the Doctor and Rose by the window. Rose was ensconced in his arms, presumably to protect her from the blast, but neither of them looked particularly interested in moving. Jack gently cleared his throat and the Doctor raised his head to him.

"What happened?" Jack gestured to the room. The Doctor smiled and looked down at Rose.

"Oh just the stuff of legend." he replied vaguely. "Everything should be sorted now, we've taken care of this lovely little machine and this gentleman is going to be in need of assistance."

"He's not the only one. We found the others." Rose looked up at that and took a small step away from the Doctor.

"Are they alright?" she asked urgently.

"They're having memory problems apparently they don't know who they are." Jack told her. "We have experts that can relocate them and help them start a new life."

"Life will out!" the Doctor exclaimed triumphantly. He swung Rose's hand between them. "Let's get them home."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why am I so dressed up?" the Doctor cringed as he straightened his bowtie. Jack had told him to wear his tux, so he did; but standing in the TARDIS feeling completely primped for reasons unknown made him feel silly.  
"Trust us. You'll be fine!" River grinned at him and winked.  
"That's what worries me." he frowned and straightened his jacket. "Where's Rose? And why are we the only ones dressing up?"  
"Because..." Jack paused for dramatic effect as Rose walked in. She spun, the wide skirt of her baby pink dress swirling above her knees. "Wow."

"You look beautiful." the Doctor stepped towards her, his mouth gaping and his eyes wide. She grinned back up at him.  
"For a human?" she asked. He smiled and shook his head.  
"For anything." They stood for a moment smiling at each other until Donna finally spoke up.  
"Off you go you two, Delmonico's won't wait forever." She pushed them both out the door. "Be sure to eat lots and tell me all about it when you get back." The Doctor began to protest and Jack held up a hand.  
"I know, I put a wallet in your jacket pocket, you should be able to eat fairly well. No, no. No thanks, just eat and enjoy each others company. Do all that talking you wanted to do." Jack winked and waved them away before slamming the TARDIS door shut. He brushed his hands and grinned. "Step one, check."


End file.
